ONE AND ONLY
Reds wrap up historic crown on home turf
Toronto FC becomes the first Canadian MLS team to claim top spot in regular season,
Two down, one to go.
Toronto FC scooped up its second trophy of the season at BMO Field on Saturday night, becoming the first Canadian team to win Major League Soccer’s Supporters’ Shield with a 4-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls.
After capturing the Canadian championship earlier this year, the Reds need the MLS Cup to complete the set — hence a muted post-game celebration.
“We’re very proud to win it,” said coach Greg Vanney. “We’re very proud to win for our fans, who we know have gone through a lot over the years. We also know we have one big one left in front of us, and it really is the biggest one.”
A hat trick from Justin Morrow and a penalty by midfielder Victor Vazquez secured the shield — which goes to the regular-season overall champion — for Toronto, on a night when the Eastern Conference’s sixth-ranked club gave its top team a run for their money.
“The most important part is that we won the game,” said TFC’s Jozy Altidore, who returned to the starting 11 after three matches off with lower-body tightness. “I think the team, for the most part, played well. Definitely could play better, but we’re Supporters’ Shield champs, so we’ve got to take it for what it is and keep going.”
With everyone but injured striker Sebastian Giovinco available for the match, Vanney started as close to his strongest lineup as possible. That was far from the case for the visitors, who left their leading scorer, striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, and top midfielder Sasha Kljestan on the bench to start.
The absence of their foremost attacking players didn’t keep New York from bringing the game to Toronto early, though.
It was an approach the Reds expected, but the high press had the home team pinned back for much of the first half hour.
Morrow broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute off a scramble in front of goal. Vazquez putting a cross into Altidore at the back post, the striker squaring a header to Tosaint Ricketts near the penalty spot. The ball bounced between the Canadian forward, New York goalkeeper Luis Robles and defender Aaron Long, bobbling to a looming Morrow outside the six-yard box. He slotting it through the crowd and into the net.
The defender doubled his count — giving him a career-high seven goals this season — five minutes later, when a shot by captain Michael Bradley deflected off two Red Bulls players and landed at Morrow’s feet, setting up an easy tap-in.
It was nearly the perfect half for the Reds, until New York’s only shot on target landed in the back of Alex Bono’s net off striker Gonzalo Veron’s boot.
The Red Bulls brought on the cavalry early in the second half, introducing both Wright-Phillips and Kljestan within 20 minutes of the restart.
They got a glimmer of hope when Veron won the Red Bulls a penalty that defender Daniel Royer scored on.
Altidore made up for it at the other end, winning a penalty for Toronto that Vazquez calmly took for the deciding goal. Morrow’s third came in injury time, marking only the second time in league history that a defender has notched a hat trick.
The win secured Toronto a bye through the post-season’s opening knockout round and home-field advantage through to the MLS Cup final, if the team makes it that far.
As they’ve made clear time and time again, that’s the goal.
“We have (an MLS Cup) to make up for, from last year,” Morrow said. “That’s in the back of all of our minds.”