Toronto FC, CF Montreal play to goalless draw in return from MLS break

MONTREAL — CF Montréal drove the play but couldn’t solve Toronto FC keeper Luka Gavran in a 0-0 draw as both clubs returned to MLS action Thursday night following a lengthy World Cup break.

Montreal (4-8-3) settled for a single point despite dominating the shot count 15-7 — including 3-0 on target — at Stade Saputo.

Hennadiy Synchuk was dangerous all night and created the home side’s best chance in the 66th minute when Gavran denied his blistering strike from the right side of the box.

Toronto (3-6-6) hasn’t won a match since April 4 at home against Colorado, a run of 10 games. 

Montreal bounced back from a historically poor 1-7-0 start to the MLS season under since-fired head coach Marco Donaldel. Philippe Eullaffroy took over on an interim basis and helped settle the club heading into the summer hiatus.

Eullaffroy’s squad is also heading to the Canadian Championship semifinals after a pair of 2-1 victories over Canadian Premier League side Vancouver FC last week. Montreal will face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the final four.

TFC played without captain Jonathan Osorio, who served a one-game suspension due to yellow card accumulation. Montreal striker Prince Owusu, who scored a hat trick in the final match before the break, also served a one-game ban.

Wiki Carmona, Bode Hidalgo and Josh-Duc Nteziryayo were also absent for the home side with lower-body injuries.

Neither side generated much in a sleepy start to the second half until Gavran thwarted Synchuk’s strong strike in the 66th minute.

Synchuk missed another opportunity on the ensuing corner when the ball fell to his feet in the penalty area. The Ukrainian international dribbled around a defender but failed to send the ball past defender Alonso Coello.

Former star Montreal attacking midfielder Djordje Mihailovic entered for Toronto in the 74th minute, marking his first appearance since he was diagnosed with a pelvic stress fracture in April.

But the substitution did not immediately rally TFC, with Gavran stopping Daniel Rios’s shot from outside the box three minutes later.

In one late chance for Toronto, Daniel Salloi missed his right-footed shot wide right from outside the box.

Montreal also controlled the first half and regularly forced turnovers in the midfield to hold 55.5-per-cent possession and a 9-3 advantage in shot attempts (1-0 on target), with TFC blocking several.

Synchuk looked particularly engaged. He tested Gavran in the first minute, controlling a pass in the penalty area and striking a half-volley that the TFC keeper denied.

Minutes later, Synchuk deked defender Jackson Gilman between his legs before sailing the ball high. The 20-year-old winger then sent a weak-footed shot wide from inside the box following a setup from Noah Streit.

The matchup turned physical at times between the two rival sides trying to climb into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. TFC midfielder Richie Laryea, in his first match since playing for Canada at the World Cup, shoved Montreal’s Victor Loturi to the ground following a challenge in the 14th minute.

Montreal: Visits Nashville SC on Wednesday.

Toronto: Visits New England Revolution on Wednesday.