CF Montreal saw red in the Canadian metropolis. Toronto FC won 4-0 at BMO Field in the semi-finals of the Canadian Championship.
Posted at 9:13 p.m.
Ayo Akinola scored twice as the Torontonians really exploded in the second half with three goals.
Photo Nick Turchiaro, USA TODAY Sports
Ayo Akinola (20) celebrates with his team mates after scoring his first half goal.
This defeat therefore sounds the death knell for the career of the Montrealers, defending champions, in the 2022 edition of this competition.
Lack of opportunism
Montreal failed to take advantage of a TFC that was still trying to organize itself in the first moments of the first half. His two best chances in net resulted in shots from Samuel Piette on the edge of the box (3e20e). The first made his head coach Wilfried Nancy laugh on the sidelines.
Photo Kevin Sousa, USA TODAY Sports
CF Montreal head coach Wilfried Nancy
Subsequently, Toronto regained its pace. We attacked the net of James Pantemis with more confidence and, above all, success. We forced the Montreal defense, which played sluggishly throughout the game, to slip in extremis.
Until the dike finally broke. At the 40eAyo Akinola was served in the area after a quick climb with Luca Petrasso and Jesús Jiménez, and put in the mouth for the first goal of the game.
burst of red
Wilfried Nancy’s squad came out of the locker room with energy for the second period. Kei Kamara and Ahmed Hamdi had just replaced Zorhan Bassong and Mathieu Choinière, respectively. And we thought the head coach’s choices were going to pay off…until Akinola did it again.
The Canadian attacker took advantage of other defensive largesse from the Montreal Brigade at the 54e and took a powerful shot at the entrance to the box. Camacho, lying on the ground after a slip, could only see the damage.
Montreal responded positively to this second goal, but was never able to violate Quentin Westberg’s goal. Worse, Toronto scored a third (Jiménez, 75e) after another scramble on the ramparts. Pantemis missed his clearance, Camacho couldn’t get the ball out despite an attempted kick from the scorpion, and the ball crossed the line.
Bob Bradley’s men even pushed the affront to afford a fourth a few moments later. Alejandro Pozuelo lobbed the ball in front of goal in the 78the.
This loss is the fourth in five games for CF Montreal, in all competitions. He can only participate in the Champions League in 2023 if he finishes first in his conference in 2022, or if he wins the MLS Cup.