Toronto FC Earns First MLS Win in Weeks fter Beating Union
TORONTO (AP)—Victor Vazquez, Sebastian Giovinco and Jay Chapman all scored to lead Toronto FC to a 3-0 victory against the Philadelphia Union on Friday night.
Vazquez got Toronto on the scoreboard in the 29th minute and Giovinco made it 2-0 in the 65th with his first goal of the season. Toronto (2-4-1) earned its first league victory in five weeks.
Chapman capped the scoring in the 90th.
Toronto started the night last in the 11-team Eastern Conference, but leapfrogged Montreal and D.C. United. Philadelphia (2-4-2) is a point ahead.
Toronto was missing several regulars as forward Jozy Altidore (hamstring) and defenders Drew Moor (quad), Justin Morrow (calf), Chris Mavinga (hamstring), Eriq Zavaleta (quad) and Nick Hagglund (hamstring) all sat out.
Coach Greg Vanney used a 4-1-4-1 formation with captain Michael Bradley anchoring a back line that included Gregory van der Wiel, Auro and Ashtone Morgan. The Union went with a 4-2-3-1 setup.
Howling winds were a factor on a chilly, clear evening at the lakefront stadium. Giovinco tested Andre Blake in the early going with a shot from distance that forced the Philadelphia goalkeeper to fully extend for the save.
Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono showed his form moments later. He displayed quick reflexes to get a piece of the ball on a header by Union captain Alejandro Bedoya. The ball hit the bar and was cleared.
Giovinco helped set up the opening goal by finding Nicolas Hasler charging down the right side. Hasler fed the ball into the middle where it was deftly stroked into the corner by Vazquez.
The Union managed the occasional scoring chance, but seemed rather flummoxed overall. Toronto used quick, efficient passes and an aggressive style to break down the Philadelphia defense.
Vazquez helped pull the strings for Toronto while Bradley and van der Wiel offered a steady presence at the back.
Philadelphia's Jack Elliott was shown a yellow card in the first half. Giovinco and Morgan were also carded before halftime.
Toronto used a strong counter-attack to pad its lead in the second half as Jonathan Osorio found space in the midfield before passing to Giovinco outside the box. Giovinco took advantage of a rather timid defensive effort from Elliott, who didn't make a challenge and stumbled. The Toronto star moved past him and used his left foot to squeeze the ball past Blake.
Chapman later delivered a quality strike for his first goal of the season to put the game out of reach.
Toronto's last MLS win was 3-1 over Real Salt Lake on March 30. The Reds fielded reserve-heavy lineups last month during their run to the CONCACAF Champions League final.
