TORONTO (AP)—Toronto FC and Columbus tied 0-0 Sunday, keeping both teams’ unbeaten streaks alive in a dull game enlivened afterward by Toronto coach John Carver’s comments.
Carver singled out the Crew’s Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who spent the afternoon theatrically tumbling to the ground and complaining to the referee.
“I’ve not seen anything like it, to be honest,” Carver said. “I’ve never been involved with anything like that before.”
Columbus coach Sigi Schmid said he talked to his player at halftime and would have more words with him. But he chose not to engage Carver in a war of words. “I think he’s got to worry about his players and I’ll worry about my players,” Schmid said.
“Guillermo is a very competitive individual who plays with a lot of passion and fire, he felt he got fouled a couple of times and it didn’t get called,” he added. “He plays with that emotion but that’s also what makes him a good player.”
Adding to Carver’s ire, the 43-year-old rookie coach had been singled out in a DVD sent to game officials for his behavior at Toronto’s previous home game.
“Rightly so, possibly,” Carver said. “But today we saw a fellow professional, diving all over the park and is anything going to be done about that? I don’t know.”
The English coach was clearly upset at being featured in the DVD.
“I’m a very passionate guy and I love the game. And that’s the way I am. And apparently they don’t want that in the MLS. They don’t want passionate people. They don’t want people who care for the game and wear their heart on the sleeve.”
“They want me to sit down on the chair, in the dugout with my arms folded, my legs crossed and just be a nice little boy and get a suntan,” he continued. “Well, no. If that’s what they want to get, I’ll get on a plane and fly home again.”
Carver acknowledged his behavior last time out was “probably out of order.”
“But whether it merits a DVD going out to all the officials in the league, I’m not so sure.”
Toronto FC’s fans didn’t care for Schelotto’s act, either.
A drink was hurled in his direction after he toppled to the turf near the corner for no apparent reason late in the half and he was eventually given a yellow card for diving late in the game and was substituted to a chorus of boos in injury time.
Columbus (6-1-1) had a five-game winning streak ended. Laurent Robert nearly scored for Toronto in the 60th minute, drifting in from the right, beating two defenders and sending a left-footed shot past goalkeeper William Hesner and off the post.
Columbus hasn’t lost in six games while Toronto (3-2-2) is unbeaten in five.
In the 77th, Robert sent in a short cross that substitute
Jeff Cunningham couldn’t handle. Minutes later, Rohan Ricketts wasted an opportunity when his weak shot went straight at Hesmer.
Columbus’ best chance in the second half came in the 54th minute when Venezuelan striker
Alejandro Moreno sent a shot wide.
Columbus didn’t get a shot off until the 22nd minute, but
Greg Sutton easily caught it. In the 25th,
Robbie Rogers turned a defender and put a shot on target while Sutton was out of position, but defender cleared it off the line.