Toronto FC falls to Union on goal in stoppage time

> UNION 1 > TFC 0

CHESTER, PA.— Toronto FC couldn’t replicate last week’s dominating four-goal performance. Instead, the team conceded a stoppage-time goal in Saturday night’s 1-0 loss to the playoff hopeful Philadelphia Union.

It was a familiar story for Ryan Nelsen’s team, which defended well and created scoring chances for the full 90 minutes. The late goal, scored on a Kleberson free kick, sent Toronto home empty-handed after the Reds played with a man advantage for the final 15 minutes of the game.

“The chances that we got were obviously very key ones,” Nelsen said. “We just didn’t take them, and that’s football. That’s the thing about this game, generally it comes back to haunt you.”

Toronto had the advantage after Union winger Fabinho was shown a straight red card in the 77th minute. The Brazilian was judged to have stomped on the back of Alvaro Rey after the pair got tangled up going for a ball near the far touchline.

Just three minutes later, secondhalf substitute Robert Earnshaw had Toronto’s best scoring chance of the evening.

Firing a free kick from 22 yards, the Welshman’s strike hit the underside of the crossbar and ricocheted down, but did not cross the goal line. Philadelphia was able to clear the box with frantic defending.

“I caught it so sweet,” Earnshaw said.

“If I caught it right, and if I hit the ball right, I thought it was going in. I got great contact on it. ”

Toronto had another chance in the 91st minute, when a Union corner kick turned into a counterattack opportunity. Earnshaw and Rey sprung a two-on-one, but Rey’s shot was smothered by Zac MacMath after the Spaniard elected to cut inside and try an effort from 18 yards.