Nigerian striker Chinonso Offor scored the winning goal in the 39the minute and CF Montreal held on to beat Toronto FC 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Championship on Tuesday.
“This game was very important for us tonight,” said Toronto FC coach Bob Bradley. Getting knocked out tonight is a big disappointment for all of us. We wanted to win, and in front of our fans. We know how much that means to them. »
Toronto FC had a lot to recover from late in the first half and failed to come back, despite a better second.
“I think we had a very good first half, and I even think we can score more than two goals, explained Hernan Losada on his birthday. Behind, we were very solid. The game was really controlled. »
The TFC had the opportunity to equalize in the 85e minute, but Lorenzo Insigne, who had already scored, sent his free kick from outside the box into the Montreal wall. Three minutes later, his compatriot Federico Bernardeschi missed the target.
After a quiet start to the game, three goals were scored just before half-time in front of the 17,726 spectators at BMO Field. The Bleu-Blanc-Noir scored the first two, taking advantage of poor defensive coverage from Toronto FC.
The goal streak started at the 35e minute, after Bernardeschi’s free kick outside the CF Montreal area hit the wall, then CF Montreal began a quick counterattack by sending a long ball through the center to Romell Quioto. Toronto FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson was the first to receive the ball but couldn’t control it and Zachary Brault-Guillard, one of several Montreal players chasing his opponent, followed the action .
Four minutes later, Offor scored with a close-range header that went between Johnson’s legs after Mathieu Choinière found him on a beautiful curling cross.
The home team responded to the 44e minute when substitute Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty broke through the Montreal defense and served Richie Laryea in the penalty area. The Toronto full-back sends a perfect cross to Insigne, who slips between the defenders and scores.
It was the first goal conceded by CF Montreal since April 15, in a 1-0 loss against DC United. A series of 448 minutes, all competitions combined.
The two teams will meet on Saturday, at the Saputo stadium, as part of the MLS. Although both teams have 12 points in the league, CF Montreal are progressing in the right direction while Toronto FC have yet to find their feet.