ATOMIC ENERGY
Sebastian Giovinco, the Atomic Ant, puts on a show for Toronto FC faithful in a 4-0 win over New York City FC that sends a message to other rivals,
Toronto FC bagged four goals in front of a sellout crowd on Sunday, making the top-of-the-table clash against New York City FC look more like a visit by one of Major League Soccer’s minnows.
Sebastian Giovinco added two dazzling goals to his personal highlight reel — the second giving him an even 50 in 77 career regular-season appearances — before Jozy Altidore and Raheem Edwards sealed the deal.
The win gives the Reds a six-point cushion over New York City in the Eastern Conference standings, and four on the second-place Chicago Fire, who have a game in hand.
Toronto FC, still unbeaten on home turf at 8-0-3, is exuding a confidence that should worry opponents over the final 12 games on the schedule.
“We try to make a statement every game we play and today was no different, in terms of our attempt to be the best version of ourselves,” said coach Greg Vanney. “There’s things we can continue to get better at. We’re trying to do it every day.”
TFC took the game to the visitors from the get-go, limiting New York to a single shot on target in the first half.
Giovinco’s first goal came at the end of 11 uninterrupted passes by his teammates. The Italian put a shot across goalkeeper Sean Johnson’s net and into the top right-hand corner.
“A great player, maybe the best that’s ever played in this league,” Vanney told reporters after Giovinco’s magic. “I would say yes . . . the best ever.”
TFC took the slim lead into the half thanks not only to the striker but also defender Chris Mavinga, who stripped a ball off Maxi Moralez with a clean tackle just inside the box after the midfielder had broken away.
Vanney called Mavinga’s move, which began with the athletic defender making up yards on Moralez, a game-saving play. A tie game at that point could have changed the momentum, something Toronto is all too familiar with after giving up a cheap late goal to the Colorado Rapids in last week’s 1-1 draw, costing the Reds a shot at three points.
“We can’t have those little letdowns, where we can let another team in the game when we’ve had them pretty much closed out for the whole game,” Vanney said.
Instead, Toronto went on to double its lead midway through the second half when a 25-yard free kick from Giovinco found the top left corner.
Altidore then scored from the penalty spot after he was brought down in the box by defender Alexander Callens, and Edwards put his first league goal away in the 82nd minute, controlling a ball from Giovinco with his chest before slipping it past Johnson from wide.
Toronto was lucky to keep a clean sheet, its first in six games, after a hand ball in the box by Marky Delgado conceded an injury-time penalty. Moralez fired high on the inconsequential chance, but it’s an area where the Reds hope to improve.
“It’s funny because I think we could have won by even more today,” said Drew Moor, who made his 350th league appearance.
“We put them away extremely well, but we’re never satisfied. We’re never satisfied winning 4-0 at home against New York City. We’re not satisfied tying at home against Colorado with a lot of guys missing. We step into the training room every single day and bring the absolute best out of each other.” The Reds, who dominated New York 7-0 on aggregate in last season’s Eastern semifinal, had never beaten their Big Apple rivals in regular-season play before Sunday (now 1-2-4).
A hot, sunny day at BMO Field proved physically demanding, with wingback Justin Morrow pulled in the second half with cramping.
Defender Oyvind Alseth was substituted earlier after splitting open the top of his foot.