Giovinco steals the show
TORONTO On a night when German star Bastian Schweinsteiger came to town, Sebastian Giovinco served a reminder that he is still the main attraction.
The diminutive Italian scored two goals - and likely could have had five - as Toronto FC defeated the Chicago Fire 3-1 Friday, handing Schweinsteiger his first loss in Major League Soccer.
Giovinco upped his season goal total to three, punctuating the victory with a glorious free kick to the top corner in the 82nd minute. But his eye-popping performance came with a major-league tantrum.
A goal away from a hat trick, the Atomic Ant was not happy to be taken off in the 85th minute, slapping a stanchion in disgust as he headed directly to the dressing room. Giovinco, who had not had much luck in front of goal in his five previous games, had showered and left the building by the time reporters were allowed in the dressing room.
Toronto coach Greg Vanney said later he was trying to do the right thing in taking the Italian off.
He wanted an extra midfielder on to help do the dirty defensive work in the dying minutes. He also wanted to give another player some minutes, saying “We’ve got 30 guys who train their butts off every single week.”
Eriq Zavaleta also scored for Toronto (2-1-4) while Spanish playmaker Victor Vazquez notched his fourth assist of the season, pulling the strings in his 66 minutes of action before 27,097 at BMO Field.
Substitute David Accam pulled a goal back for Chicago in the 88th minute. It was the Fire’s only shot on target.