TORONTO- On Saturday, Toronto FC won the 401 derby for the second consecutive time this season, as the Reds defeated the Montreal Impact 2-1 at BMO Field.
Toronto went up 1-0 when American international Michael Bradley slotted home a lovely ball from Canadian international Jonathan Osorio in the 35th minute. It would be the only goal of the first half.
Jozy Altidore doubled TFC’s lead shortly after the break, when he buried in a rebound from an Osorio shot that hit the woodwork. Dominic Oduro pulled one back for the visitors in the 74th minute when he scored against his former team, but it would be as close as Frank Klopas side would get. After one of the league’s best defenders Laurent Ciman, was handed his second yellow and sent off in the 77th minute, there wasn’t much the Impact could do to muster an equalizer.
“Happy to get the three points,” Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney said following the victory. ” They don’t always look exactly like you want them to look, not everything comes off exactly, obviously with a couple different injuries throughout the course of the game that changes maybe some substitutions ideas plus bringing on guys really early doesn’t give you the fresh legs at the end of the game that help you close things out or pick up the extra goal at the end. But the guys dug deep. I haven’t been around this club for a long time but I said to them I’m going to assume that in the past this was a game that this club either lost or drew, and in an important moment like this where we needed the three points to separate ourselves from a group that is chasing us, they dug deep and they pulled out the three points in a critical moment so I’m proud of them for that.”
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Despite the win, TFC were forced to make all three substitutions due to injury within the first 51 minutes of the match kicking off. First Benoit Cheyrou was replaced by Jozy Altidore in the 33rd minute, then Ashtone Morgan replaced Daniel Lovitz at the break, and in the 51st minute, the team’s leading goal scorer Sebastian Giovinco was taken off with soreness in his abductor.
“Cheyrou is his ankle,” said Vanney. “It doesn’t appear to be too serious, he kind of stepped on the ball at the same time he went into the challenge and rolled it a little bit. Danny (Lovitz) was a heel issue and Sebastian was some soreness in his abductor. We’ve been treating a little bit over the course of the week and he starting feeling it progress a little bit in the game.”
While Michael Bradley will remain with Toronto next week against the Seattle Sounders instead of playing against Peru with the USMNT in a friendly match, Giovinco was called up the Italian National Team for the first time since making his move to MLS, as the Azzurri play a couple of World Cup Qualifiers.
“He’ll go and he’ll continue to do his protocols there,” said Vanney of the Italian international. “He’ll be evaluated also by their staff but we’ll be in contact with them as we have been leading up to this process anyways. We’re a part of that for sure but he’s going to go there and he’s going to be with their team and we’ll see if he progresses and is able to play.”
Montreal on the other hand, will be looking to get back to winning ways next week when they host the Chicago Fire. Frank Klopas told TSN at halftime that he expects to have star striker Didier Drogba, back in the lineup for that match.