TFC leaves Fury seeing Reds
Akinola scores first senior goal, Reds roll into Canadian final
Teenager Ayo Akinola scored his first senior goal, and Jordan Hamilton and Jonathan Osorio added a goal apiece, as Toronto FC defeated Ottawa Fury FC 3-0 (4-0 on aggregate) Wednesday to advance to the Canadian Championship final.
The goals were the high points in a largely forgettable secondleg semifinal before 18,795 at BMO Field. Ottawa, which plays in the second-tier USL, had a bright start but the MLS champions turned the screws as the game wore on and the Fury were on their heels in the dying minutes.
Akinola opened the scoring in the 36th minute after Ryan Telfer poked a long ball from Liam Fraser across the goal. Defender Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare was unable to clear the ball and Akinola knocked it in from the far side of the goal.
Born in Detroit but raised in nearby Brampton, Akinola is a TFC homegrown player who represented the U.S. at the under-17 level.
Akinola, who started the first leg in Ottawa, was making his home debut for the first team after two substitute league appearances on the road. He has been an unused sub 18 times this season in league play.
Hamilton, a halftime substitute, made it 2-0 in the 76th minute, knocking in Ashtone Morgan's low cross while Ryan Telfer was on the ground with what looked like a leg cramp.
Osorio scored a beauty in the 84th minute, turning in the penalty box before firing a shot high into the net. It was his third goal in the last three games.
The Montreal Impact took a 1-0 lead into the other semifinal, a later start at Vancouver.
TFC has won the Canadian ti- tle six times, including the last two editions, since the competition started in 2008. The Montreal Impact have hoisted the trophy three times while the Vancouver Whitecaps have emerged winners once.
Toronto has made the final four times in the last five years.
Toronto, which had banned all supporter groups privileges after a fiery display in the stands in the first leg in Ottawa, relented and reinstated the privileges for some of the groups earlier in the day. The Red Patch Boys, Kings in the North and Tribal Rhythm Nation seemed in their usual places at BMO Field. The two-legged Canadian Championship final is set for Aug. 8 and 15.