Host Toronto FC averted a club-record winless streak with a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution on Saturday night.
Toronto (4-7-8, 20 points) entered the game winless in its last 13 across all competitions. A Will Sands own-goal and a Niklas Dorsch wonder-strike late in the first frame helped them to their first multi-goal effort since the World Cup break.
Wilson Harris responded with his first MLS goal late in the affair following Djordje Mihailovic’s red card in the 76th minute. The result marked New England’s (9-7-3, 30 points) first back-to-back defeats since the beginning of the season.
Toronto opened the scoring in the 43rd minute with its first attempt on target. Theo Corbeanu’s cross attempt deflected off the foot of Sands and skittered up and over the boot of a sprawling Matt Turner.
In his first home start, recent arrival Dorsch followed it up with a long-range blast from outside the box to give his team a 2-0 lead in the last action of the half. Mihailovic drew the assist.
Harris brought the visitors within one in the 90th minute with a header from close range off Jack Harrison’s well-placed cross.
Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran opened the proceedings with an acrobatic stop off an equally acrobatic Peyton Miller attempt from near the penalty spot. Miller leaped into the air to control the ball off a fifth-minute corner kick.
The Revolution found themselves trailing by two come halftiime even as they outshot the home side 9-2.
Harrison was lively down the right side in his first start for New England. The Englishman skimmed the crossbar off a curled attempt from the edge of the box in the 59th minute. Minutes later, Matt Polster had an apparent tap-in disrupted at the last second by a sliding intervention from TFC’s Richie Laryea.
Miller was forced to sub off late in the first half after a head-on-head collision with right-back Laryea.
Toronto captain Jonathan Osorio was ruled out of action with a knee injury.
–Field Level Media
