Before last Friday’s game, TFC II’s luck against USL League 1 D3’s birdier teams had been decidedly mixed: a combined record of 0-2-1 against Forward Madison and South Georgia Tormenta. The 3-2 loss to Tormenta in May was especially bruising, as the kids twice biffed away a lead before giving up a 93rd-minute winner.

That said, perhaps the way that prior meeting played out made the Ibises less intimidating opposition than Madison’s seasoned veterans. Maybe the kids figured if they could keep eleven men on the field and not concede any cheap penalties, they wouldn’t be undone by Charlie Dennis.

And so it proved.

Despite the scoreline, the Young Reds by no means bossed this game. Rather, the visitors merely had the good manners to give their hosts plenty of space off the ball. Also, while TFC II didn’t have to rely on the notoriously flag-happy local lines(wo)men to preserve the shut-out, Yann Fillion tempted fate more than once.

The teamsheet offered a couple more surprises than in recent weeks. Back from his loan spell in Denmark’s second tier, four-year TFC II veteran Rocco Romeo started at centre-back. Perennial substitute Gideon Waja was unaccounted for, as were right-backs Dante Campbell and Jesús West. So it fell to Griffin Dorsey to fill that void.

Unlike fellow Hoosier Trev Swartz’s ill-fated stint at left-back, Griff put in a half-decent defensive shift. Thankfully, the need to tackle never arose, but he seems to have a good nose for interceptions. Playing further back also did no damage to his credentials as the team’s best play-maker in the post-Shaffelburg era.

He must’ve surprised as anyone that his two speculative long balls turned into assists. Matt Srbely’s opener, a point-blank thunderbastard, was a 50/50 chance at best, and Patrick Bunk-Andersen – still TFC II’s second highest scorer – showed a real poacher’s instinct in his response time en route to netting the third goal.

Elsewhere, Rabasca continued to take advantage of the academy teams’ off-season by giving 16-year-old Jayden “Primetime” Nelson his first ever start. With the ink barely dry on young Jacob’s homegrown deal, I’m loathe to nominate anyone as ‘the next Shaff’ too quickly, but this kid might test that resolve with a few more games like this.

Previously the star of two tantalizing trick-heavy cameos against Orlando City B’s shambles of a backline, his performance was more low-key by necessity. However, at no point did the boy look out of his depth against Tormenta’s broad-shouldered college grads, as evidenced by the casual through-ball that set up Jordan Perruzza’s strike.

It wasn’t all strictly business, though. As if to reassure us of that fact, he set off on a cross-field dribble early in the second half, pickpocketing one Ibis and rounding another in the process. His final pass to Petrasso didn’t ultimately connect, but so what?

The turning point in the 3-2 loss in May was the penalty conceded by TFC II goalkeeper Kevin Silva, when he presented a leg for Charlie Dennis to stumble over. There were no such blunders from Yann Fillion this time, but there were some seriously close calls.

Not to say the Quebecois FC Zurich loanee had a bad game. When he confined himself to his six-yard box, he made many a crucial save. The trouble was his buttock-clenching forays outside the box that could’ve cost the Young Reds upwards of three goals.

His 14th-minute kamikaze run to intercept Alex Morrell risked giving the visitors an early lead, and a woefully mistimed slide tackle in the 52nd could well have been a straight red and/or penalty had it connected. Mercifully, Captain Ovalle and friends were on hand to bail him out, but he might not have that luxury in the coming weeks.

It’s amazing it took so long, but after twelve (mostly) glorious games of shithousery, left-back Terique Mohammed finally collected enough bookings for an accumulation suspension, and there’s plenty more where that came from. Ovalle, Okello, Dante and Ramos Mingo are all sitting on four yellows as of Friday.

I’m not saying I want to see Okello or El Capitán miss a game, but at this stage, it might be Mehdi Essoussi’s only chance of getting a start.