Toronto gets important win in first leg

TORONTO Ashtone Morgan has Toronto FC sitting in a good place heading into the second leg of its CONCACAF Champions League semifinal.

The 27-year-old Toronto native’s second-half goal gave the defending Major League Soccer champions a 3-1 opening-leg win over Mexico’s Club America on a wet and breezy Tuesday night. The two-goal advantage will be huge when the two teams meet again next Tuesday at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

“It’s going to be a challenging task but we have the advantage,” Morgan said. “We have to play smart when we go down there and I’m sure our coaches will have us well prepped for the second leg.”

Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore scored first-half goals for Toronto (3-1-1) before a damp but energetic BMO Field gathering of 23,463. The Reds remain unbeaten at home in the competition (2-0-1) and earned MLS just its second win in 11 CONCACAF semifinal meetings against Liga MX squads.

Andres Ibarguen replied for Club America (3-1-1).

The contest was marred by a half-time altercation in the tunnel as the two teams left the field.

Club America coach Miguel Herrera alleged through a translator two Toronto police officers were physical with three of his players. Herrera also criticized the officiating.

Toronto head coach Greg Vanney offered a different take on the half-time incident.

Vanney said the incident began when a Club America coach interacted with Giovinco and Toronto FC’s Jonathan Osorio came to his teammate’s defence. Osorio, a 25-year-old Toronto native, said a Club America coach elbowed him in the nose.

“And then it escalated from there,” Vanney said.

Osorio, sporting a nice bump on his nose, added: “There were two of their staff who were kind of harassing Seba (Giovinco). I stepped in to say, ‘Just relax,’ and one of their guys kind of did a little cheap shot.”

This marked the first official match between the two teams although they met in the pre-season as part of Toronto FC’s week-long training at altitude in Mexico City.

Morgan gave Toronto its two-goal cushion in the 58th minute, converting a nice setup from Auro Junior.

Toronto FC goalkeeper Alexander Bono kept it a two-goal game with a nice stop in the 84th minute.

A persistent rain fell at kickoff and the wind — which was forecast at 39 kilometres an hour with gusts over 50 km-h — made the 3C game-time temperature feel more like -3C.

“It’s going to be a challenging task but we have the advantage,” – Ashtone

Morgan