Toronto FC beat the New York Red Bulls 2-0 on Saturday, October 17 in Harrison, with Daniel Salloi scoring late.
Toronto took the lead in the third minute on an own goal by Justin Che, and Luka Gavran made three saves for his fourth shutout of the season.
Three Minutes In, Toronto Had Its Lead
Toronto game plan survived contact with the match almost immediately, in the best way. In the third minute, Theo Corbeanu cross was deflected by New York defender Justin Che into his own net, with Josh Sargent in position at the right side of the goal ready to tap in the same delivery. An own goal is a fortunate way to lead, but Toronto had created the fortune by getting Corbeanu into space on the right and delivering the ball into the most dangerous area of the box. From that moment, the match became a test Toronto has failed too often this season. Protect a one goal lead, on the road, against a team that would finish with 67 percent possession.
New York outshot Toronto 15-6 and controlled the ball for long stretches, yet Gavran made all three of his saves in the first half and Toronto back line, missing several regulars, kept the home team from turning possession into clear chances in the second half. Former Toronto captain Michael Bradley, now coaching New York, added Emil Forsberg and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting at halftime, and Choupo-Moting header from a Forsberg corner in the 70th minute sailed over the goal. Julian Hall later put a ball past Gavran only for Choupo-Moting to be caught offside. Toronto bent under pressure, repeatedly, and did not break.
“This is huge. Obviously, every game is now life or death and we are very happy today, but tomorrow we have to keep working because we’re still far away from the playoffs.” Daniel Salloi, Toronto FC, postgame, published by Sportsnet
Salloi was right to separate the celebration from the table. The win moved Toronto to 8-10-12 for 36 points, tied with New York at 10-14-6 and also on 36 points, in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race where New York held a tiebreaker edge on wins in the reports of the game. Toronto is level, not safe, and level in October is still a far better position than the one it held a week earlier. The playoff push is alive because Toronto finally closed a road game it led early, something Salloi comments after the match made clear the players themselves had been waiting to do.
Salloi Counter Finishes A Long Night Of Defending
The second goal was a counter attack built in seconds. In the 82nd minute, listed as the 83rd in the official scoring summary, Jonathan Osorio won the ball off a New York corner and played a first touch through ball that sent Salloi clear. Salloi, who had come on as a substitute, carried the ball, raced through on goal and finished into the bottom right corner past Ethan Horvath for his eighth goal of the season. Official Toronto FC reporting added useful context. The strike came 14 seconds after Forsberg corner at the other end, it was Salloi team leading eighth goal and 18th goal contribution of the season, and the assist was Osorio 60th in MLS for Toronto.
A road win this clean, with this much defending to do, connects directly to the other Toronto FC story of the launch window. In the Canadian Classique comeback against Montreal at BMO Field, Toronto won late and dramatically at home. In Harrison it won early and patiently on the road, which is a harder skill for a team chasing a playoff place. The other Canadian MLS result on Saturday, Vancouver comeback win in Austin, made it a perfect night for Canadian clubs, with both teams winning away from home in the United States.
The absences make the result stronger, not weaker. Head coach Robin Fraser served a one game suspension and assistant Wolde Harris led the team. Toronto was missing suspended defenders Richie Laryea and Benjamin Kuscevic and injured defender Walker Zimmerman, and then lost Kobe Franklin to a shoulder injury in the 28th minute, replaced by Jackson Gilman. A makeshift back line, a stand in head coach, 33 percent possession and a one goal lead for 79 minutes is a list of excuses waiting to be used. Toronto used none of them, and Harris dedicated a demanding win to a group that defended its box for almost the entire night.
A 14 Game Run Against New York Finally Ends
Toronto ended a 14 game winless run against the Red Bulls dating to July 17, 2019, and official club reporting put the road drought in even sharper terms. This was Toronto first away victory against Red Bull New York since March 6, 2016, more than a decade ago. Streaks that long stop being statistics and become part of how a fixture feels for players and supporters. Every Toronto team since 2019 had travelled to Harrison and left without a win. This one left with a shutout, three points and a share of the playoff line, in a game it was outshot by nine and out possessed by two to one.
Three details explain how. First, the early goal changed the game state in Toronto favour and let a depleted team defend in structure rather than chase. Second, Gavran three first half saves kept that structure intact until halftime, after which New York chances became less clear even as its possession grew. Third, Osorio intervention and pass on the second goal showed Toronto captain deciding the game at both ends in one sequence, clearing a corner and creating a breakaway. Playoff races in MLS are often decided by teams that can win a game like this one, ugly by the shot count and perfect by the score. Toronto, for one Saturday night in New Jersey, was that team.
By The Numbers
- Final score: Toronto FC 2, New York Red Bulls 0, October 17 at Sports Illustrated Stadium
- Scoring: Justin Che own goal in the third minute; Daniel Salloi in the 82nd minute, his eighth goal of the season
- Luka Gavran: three saves and his fourth shutout of the season
- Possession and shots: New York 67 percent possession and 15 shots, Toronto six shots
- Points: Toronto 8-10-12 for 36 points, level with New York 10-14-6 on 36 points
- Streak ended: Toronto first win over the Red Bulls since July 17, 2019, ending a 14 game winless run
Toronto returns home knowing the job is not finished, which was exactly Salloi message after the game. Level on points is not a playoff place, and difficult games remain in a crowded Eastern Conference race. But a team that had not beaten this opponent in seven years, playing without its head coach and three defenders, just won 2-0 on the road with a third minute own goal and an 82nd minute counter. If Toronto reaches the playoffs, this is the result the run will be traced back to.
