Toronto FC scored two late goals four minutes apart for a 2-1 comeback win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, ending its run of six straight losses and nine matches without a victory.
It was a battle of struggling sides. Both had not won in Major League Soccer competition since May 18 (3-0 at New England for the Union and 5-1 over visiting Montreal for TFC).
Substitute Deandre Kerr scored for Toronto, which also benefited from a Jack Elliott own goal. Israeli international Tai Baribo replied for Philadelphia, which saw it winless run extend to a club-record 10 games (0-6-4).
John Herdman’s subs changed the game with Kerr, Lorenzo Insigne and Deybi Flores all playing their part in the TFC rally.
There was plenty of buildup but no finish for Toronto until the 74th minute when Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, with a diving header, sent the ball in front of goal where Kerr and Elliott collided with the ball squibbing off a body into the net.
It was ruled an own goal by Elliott. Insigne and fellow Italian Federico Bernardeschi played their part in set-up of the attack.
Four minutes later, Flores won the ball back and sent it to Insigne. His through ball found Kerr, who slotted the ball past Union ‘keeper Andrew Rick.
Chances were few and far between in the first half with Philadelphia offering up some physical defence.
But the visitors went ahead in the 39th minute when Baribo, beating centre back Kevin Long, headed home Kai Wagner’s well-flighted free kick for his third goal of the season. The goal survived a VAR check for offside.
Toronto, which has lost its last four home outings, had 67 per cent possession in the first 45 minutes but did not manage a shot on target.
Herdman sent on Insigne to start the second half. The Italian star started on the bench, perhaps with an eye to Wednesday’s game at Inter Miami.
Toronto’s first shot on goal came in the 56th minute, a weak effort by Prince Owusu after a fine pass from Insigne.
Toronto (8-13-3) was coming off a 2-1 mid-week defeat at CPL champion Forge in the opening leg of their Canadian Championship semifinal. Herdman made six changes to the lineup that lost in Hamilton.
Philadelphia (4-10-9) ended a five-game losing streak by tying the visiting New York Red Bulls 0-0 last Saturday with Rick, an 18-year-old homegrown ‘keeper, recording his first shutout in his third career start.
The game was the first for Toronto since Bill Manning was let go as president of TFC and the CFL Argonauts.
Toronto went into weekend play in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, hanging onto the final playoff wild-card berth. Philadelphia was 14th, one point out of the East basement.
The two teams played to a scoreless draw when they met at Subaru Park on May 29. That marked TFC’s last clean sheet with TFC outscored 21-7 in the eight matches since in all competitions.
Toronto had gone 0-6-1 in league play since that meeting while Philadelphia went 0-5-2. The Union have not been helped by the injury absence of Jamaican international Andre Blake, a three-time MLS goalkeeper of the year who had knee surgery in late May.
Blake who last played April 27, returned to training this week but did not make the matchday squad.
Midfielders Jesus Bueno and forward Mikael Uhre returned to the Philadelphia starting 11 after injury absences.
The Union were without midfielder Jack McGlynn and defender Nathan Harriel, both with the U.S. Olympic team. Philadelphia signed a pair of midfielders — 17-year-old C.J. Olney and 18-year-old David Vazquez — on short-term agreements for the TFC game.
Toronto was without captain/midfielder Jonathan Osorio and fullback/wingback Richie Laryea, who are away with Canada at Copa America. Wingback Tyrese Spicer and midfielders Brandon Servania and Alonso Coello are injured.
Raoul Petretta, normally a wingback, started in central midfield.
It was a toasty 27 C, feeling like 33 C, at kickoff for TFC’s annualCaribbean Heritage Match.
Bernardeschi, who captained Toronto, displayed yet another hairstyle — dyed blond locks tied up at the back. And the Italian came close in the 17th minute, hammering a shot just high from outside the penalty box.
At the other end, Bueno’s shot flashed just wide of the Toronto goal in the 26th. A minute later, goalkeeper Sean Johnson stopped Uhre after a long ball put the Danish striker behind the Toronto defence.
Owusu came close for Toronto in the 45th minute with a header off a long ball from Bernardeschi. But a defender got to the ball before it crossed the line and the Union raced back up the field with only some desperate defending from Shane O’Neill snuffing out the threat.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2024.
