Montreal rallies from early deficit with four goal outburst to deal TFC a costly loss

TORONTO – CF Montreal regroup with four goals in a row after taking a 2-0 lead to beat Toronto 4-3 in an all-around contest on Sunday, dealing TFC a body blow in its attempt to perform Big football tournament knockout round.

There was a wild start with Toronto scoring in the fifth and seventh minutes, only for Montreal to respond with goals in the 19th and 21st minutes. Only three games in league history have seen them both. two teams score more goals faster, according to Stats Perform, a sports data and analytics company.

Montreal took the lead in the 43rd minute and took the lead early in the second half.

Kamal Miller, Djorde Mihailovic, Kei Kamara and Alistair Johnston scored for Montreal, leading 3-2 at half-time that saw the two teams come together on seven shots – and scored in five of them.

Montreal became the first MLS team to erase a two-goal deficit and take the lead after halftime since Toronto to do so against NYCFC in July 2015.

Lorenzo Insigne, with two goals, and Federico Bernadeschi answered for Toronto. Insigne’s second minute came in the 93rd minute, when the Italian took advantage of a Montreal pass and crossed into the box before slamming down goalkeeper James Pantemis, scoring his sixth goal in nine games.

Montreal (16-9-4) entered Sunday’s game in second place in the East, eight places and 15 points ahead of Toronto (9-14-7).

With the win, Montreal set one-season franchise records for wins (16) and points (52), erasing the previous milestones of 15 and 49 set in 2105 when the team went 15- 13-6.

Montreal, one of the best top laners in the league with a 9-4-2 away record, has also extended its franchise-record winning streak to five games. Montreal’s nine wins, 29 goals and 29 away points are also hallmarks of the club.

Toronto is running out of time, where there are only four games left. And three of them are on the way – in Atlanta, Orlando and Philadelphia. TFC this season plays away from home 2-8-4.

The only game left at home is September 30 against Inter Miami.

There has been action from warm-up Sunday with Toronto scoring on the first two shots.

It started with Ayo Akinola appealing a penalty in the second minute when he came into contact with Samuel Piette. Initially, referee Allen Chapman decided to blow the game, but he changed his mind after reviewing the situation on the side screen.

Bernadeschi converted the fifth-minute penalty into his seventh MLS goal – and fourth from the penalty spot – in nine games.

Bernardeschi became the third player in league history to score in his first five home games at the tournament. Joe-Max Moore and Mamadou Diallo have each scored in their first six home games.

Two minutes later, Bernardeschi’s cross found Insigne behind the defence, and the Italian star, displaying a perfect moment, volleyed into the net of Pantemis from close range.

Bernardeschi (seven goals and three assists), Insigne (six goals, two assists) and fellow Italian Criscito (one goal) have been involved in 17 of Toronto’s last 20 goals in the league. MLS, including 11 of the last 12 goals.

Miller pulled back a goal in the 19th minute, scoring after an Alex Bono own goal from a Kamara shot. Toronto will easily chase the situation where Montreal moves the ball after a short corner.

Two minutes later, Toronto took a nap in a quick free-kick in the midfield. The ball made its way to the feet of Mihailovic, who galloped past the pitch before unleashing a spin from just outside the box that Bono could only save. It’s the eighth season for Mihailovic, a United States international who will join AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch top flight in January.

Montreal’s Victor Wanyama ignored Bono’s blush in the 29th minute when the Toronto keeper failed to save Mihailovic’s free-kick. The ball reached Wanyama, who was facing an empty goal, but his header went over the bar.

The game turned in the 31st minute when Wanyama, trying to get the ball over his keeper’s head, instead went to Akinola, who blocked his shot.

A Kamara goal for Montreal in the 34th minute, triggered by a fine Mihailovic cross, was recalled after Romell Quioto fouled a TFC defender.

Things took a turn for the worse in the 43rd minute when Joel Waterman’s long pass found its way to Kamara, who took advantage of Chris Mavinga’s sloppy defense to pick up the ball, head it towards goal and put the ball in between the two. Bono’s feet. It was the 136th career goal of the 38-year-old Kamara, the third on the league’s all-time scoring list (after Landon Donovan’s 145 and Chris Wondolowski’s 171).

Insigne just missed a free kick in the first half of injury time, watching the ball narrowly miss the post.

Toronto coach Bob Bradley made two substitutions in the first half. Midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye, who had missed the previous seven games due to a lower body injury, and Doneil Henry came on for Jayden Nelson and Mavinga.

These changes didn’t help Johnston make it 4-2 in the 54th minute, thanks to Kamara’s pass after Montreal’s pass after Montreal moved the ball from side to side with the TFC defenders always appearing second color.

Toronto had a chance in the second half but couldn’t convert, with Kaye’s misguided header perhaps the best chance.

Both teams had disappointing midweek results at home, with Montreal being beaten 1-0 by the New York Red Bulls and Toronto squandering a two-goal comeback by conceding in the 89th minute of the game. draw 2-2 with Los Angeles. Galaxy.

Before the loss to the Red Bulls, Montreal was undefeated for eight games (6-0-2) – the match started with a 1-0 win over Toronto and had four clean sheets.

Toronto has had a resurgence since the mid-season appearances of Insigne, Bernardeschi and Criscito. TFC has lost just one of eight games (4-1-3) since Insigne and Bernardeschi made their MLS debuts on July 23 in a 4-0 win over a visit to Charlotte, before a draw with the Galaxy.

Bradley made two changes to his starting lineup with Shane O’Neil and Noble Okello coming in for Lukas MacNaughton and Kosi Thompson. For Okello, it was his first game since March 12, the third game of the season. He saw 29 minutes of play on the bench midweek when he returned from a lengthy injury break.

TFC centre-back Jonathan Osorio (not sick with COVID) and striker Deandre Kerr (lower body) were naked.

Montreal also made two changes with defenders Rudy Camacho and Kamara returning to start for Gabriele Corbo and Joaquin Torres.

Montreal has six Canadians at the age of 11, compared with four from Toronto.

While TFC had a 14-11-5 advantage in the two teams’ full-time series before Sunday, including a 6-3-4 difference at BMO Field, Montreal was unbeaten in their last four meetings at tournament (3-0-1). Toronto beat Montreal 4-0 in their other game this season, June 22 in the semifinals of the Canadian Championship at BMO Field.