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Red Bulls Earn 1-1 Draw Against Toronto

TORONTO (WFAN/AP) — Danny Koevermans scored and Toronto FC earned a 1-1 tie with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.

Both goals came in the first six minutes of a wide-open game, but suddenly the goals dried up.  Jan Gunnar Solli gave the Red Bulls an early advantage, but Danny Koevermans found the net for Toronto minutes later.

Toronto (2-10-3) is now 1-1-3 under Paul Mariner, who succeeded Aron Winter as head coach.

"It's not beautiful flowing football but we're a little harder to beat than we have been in the past," Mariner said. "If you become a hard team to beat in this league, and you stay in the game with the likes of Ryan (Johnson) and Danny and Torsten (Frings) with his service, you might be able to nick something."

Star striker Thierry Henry started for the Red Bulls (9-4-4), after coming off the bench last week as he battled a calf strain. Mexican international Rafa Marquez (thigh) did not dress Saturday at BMO Field.

"They're a more direct team, I would say, compared to what Aron Winter wanted to do," Henry said. "Tight now, they're doing extremely well ... We knew it wasn't going to be an easy task here and it wasn't.

Jan Gunnar Solli tapped in a cross from Brandon Barklage on the right in the fourth minute after the Red Bulls strikers moved to the ball to the flank from the center.

The Norwegian midfielder got behind the heart of the Toronto defense and pulled New York ahead 1-0.

But Koevermans, with his seventh goal in seven games and fifth in his past four, tied it two minutes later when he rose unmarked to head in a Torsten Frings corner.

Reggie Lambe broke in on goal minutes later when a deflection fell his way. He outraced the New York defense and beat the onrushing goalie but defenders Wilman Conde and Heath Pearce managed to clear the ball before it crossed the line.

Kenny Cooper almost put the Red Bulls ahead in the 44th but his shot, off a play almost a mirror image of the first goal, hit the post. Koevermans came close seconds later poking a dangerous Frings free kick just wide.

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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