Saint-Laurent visits on whirlwind run

Semi-pro CS Saint-Laurent won Toronto FC’s respect in the first leg of their Canadian Championship quarterfinal, despite the 3-0 score in the MLS club’s favour.

And Toronto coach John Herdman expects the Ligue1 Quebec champion to “play with no fear” in Tuesday night’s return match at BMO Field.

“They’ve experienced it once before; they know we’re only human,” Herdman said. “They’ll genuinely believe if they score one, they can score two. That’s the dream that I know I would be trying to create with my players. I expect them to come in excited, full of confidence and with no real weight of expectations, which maybe they had in that first game.”

The challenges have come on and off the field, with extra media attention on Saint-Laurent during a Canadian Championship run that started May 2 with an upset win over the CPL’s Halifax Wanderers in a penalty shootout.

“It’s been a lot and very fast,” said Saint-Laurent coach Nick Razzaghi. “From playing Halifax to playing Toronto, and playing Toronto a second time, it’s been 2 1⁄2 weeks. It feels like a year.”

Also Tuesday, the Vancouver Whitecaps will take a 2-1 lead into their rematch with Cavalry FC at B.C. Place Stadium. On Wednesday, it’s Forge FC at CF Montreal (first leg 1-1) and Atletico Ottawa at Pacific FC (0-0) in the other quarterfinals.

Saint-Laurent can perhaps feel hard done by the opening leg, which was scoreless after 50 minutes.

Said Herdman: “It was a nervy one for us, that’s for sure.”

Toronto’s injured list includes captain Jonathan Osorio, Kevin Long, Richie Laryea, Shane O’Neill and Brandon Servania.