Toronto FC Repeats as Canadian Champions
Sebastian Giovinco’s brace earned Toronto the win over Montreal last night in the second leg of the Canadian Championship.
It was a dramatic Final. Ballou Tabla gave Montreal the lead in the 36th minute with a beautiful left-footed strike past TFC goalkeeper Clint Irwin. The Impact carried a 1-0 lead (2-1 agg.) into halftime.
Giovinco, the Toronto FC talisman, got on the end of a Michael Bradley cross in the 54th minute to equalize with a clinical finish. Just three minutes later, the fierce rivals got into a scuffle after Giovinco was tackled hard by Montreal’s Patrice Bernier. Bernier was shown a red card for his dangerous tackle; Toronto would play the rest of the Final 11 vs 10.
In the 95th minute, with the match poised for extra time, Michael Bradley dispossessed a Montreal player - giving Toronto FC one last chance to threaten the Impact box. Giovinco picked up the loose ball and sprayed it out wide to the left. The tiny Italian continued his run into the Montreal area and cooly finished a low cross to the delight of 26,000+ Toronto FC fans at BMO Field.
The last-second goal ousted Montreal; handing Toronto FC its third Voyageurs Cup and automatic qualification into the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League.
Rivalry Week Wrap-Up
Cascadia Cup: Portland Timbers - 2 Seattle Sounders - 2
Down 2-1 and his team playing with 10 men, USMNT legend Clint Dempsey came off the bench for Seattle to try and steal a point from Providence Park. Deep into stoppage time, Dempsey rose above the Portland defense to head in the equalizer off a Sounders corner kick.
Timbers fans were stunned as Dempsey and the Sounders celebrated their unlikely draw on Portland’s home turf.
New York Derby: NY Red Bulls - 0 NYCFC - 2
New York is blue after NYCFC earned their first ever win at Red Bull Arena on Saturday.
In quite dominating fashion, NYCFC shut-out the Red Bulls on their home field. Goals from Jack Harrison (7) and Ben Sweat (1) lifted the blues to a comfortable 2-0 victory.
Texas Derby: Houston Dynamo - 1 FC Dallas - 1
The Dynamo opening the scoring in the 19th minute when promising Mexican striker Erick “Cubo” Torres’ slipped away from a Dallas defender to slot home his 11th MLS goal this season.
In what was a back-and-forth match, neither team really dominated their bitter in-state rival.
In the 59th minute, Maxi Urruti equalized for FC Dallas scoring his 9th of this year’s campaign. The scrappy affair would end 1-1 marking the second draw of the season between Houston and Dallas.
MLS Summer Transfer Window
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