MONTREAL — Toronto FC took a major step forward in their pursuit of a Major League Soccer playoff position with a 1-0 victory on Saturday over Eastern Conference rival CF Montreal 1-0.
Richie Laryea’s first-half goal at Stade Saputo allowed Toronto (9-14-3) to gain three points of separation, ending Montreal’s (6-10-9) home unbeaten run at nine games in the process.
“I think there was a maturity in the performance tonight, particularly in the first half,” said Toronto head coach John Herdman, who has now won both games against Montreal.
“Just thought collectively it was a real team performance, there’s not one man I could single out that I could say he was brilliant tonight," added the coach. "That's the tightest I've seen the group; they maintained a clarity right until the end.”
This is the first time since 2019 that Toronto has won both MLS ties in the same season and it came with significant playoff implications.
Entering the game level on points, Toronto has given itself some breathing room with eight games left in the regular season.
The match kicked off with a timid and cautious tempo as neither team looked to lose their shape and leave room for any kind of attack. As the game progressed, Montreal became increasingly adventurous, spurred on by the home crowd and a desire to avenge a 5-1 rout in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
The first chance came their way when Josef Martinez was played in beautifully by Joaquin Sosa. Alone with the 'keeper, Martinez was unable to put the home side ahead as he hit the side of the net.
As the scoreless game continued, tensions began to boil over in the typical fashion of a rivalry game. With the physicality reaching a crescendo, Toronto would draw first blood with five minutes to play in the first half.
After a quick combination play between Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne, the latter found Laryea at the back post for a tap into the open goal.
“As soon as Lorenzo had the ball, I just threw myself on the ball and scored,” said Laryea who scored for the first time since returning to the club. “The double over Montreal is very positive, I think we definitely needed that in the moment.”
After conceding the goal, Montreal controlled the play to close out the half, looking to head into the break level, but were unable to find a breakthrough.
Montreal opened the second half with a much higher tempo, forcing Toronto to drop into a more defensive shape and protect the one-goal lead. The organization was crucial as they allowed the home side a single shot on target that did little to trouble the ‘keeper.
“We denied with everything we had. It was about doing whatever it took to get the result,” said Herdman. “(Montreal) had some good moments, no doubt. But we just didn't let the game get away from us, even when they had spells of possession, we had good control.”
Despite several half chances and loads of possession, Montreal struggled to create any real danger until the 80th minute. After a failed clearance, Bryce Duke jumped on a loose ball and fired a shot that ended up being deflected off the crossbar.
“I don’t think it was a lack of effort. A lack of audacity maybe, because I think we spent too much time preparing and not enough time causing chaos,” said Montreal head coach Laurent Courtois.
“In the second half we tried a little more, but we still need to create more danger in the penalty area.”
Just a minute before regulation time ended, Montreal found another golden opportunity to draw level as Martinez was played in alone but could not convert under pressure, sending a chip over the bar.
UP NEXT
Major League Soccer will now shift its focus to the joint midseason tournament played with Mexico’s Liga MX. Montreal’s first game will be against Orlando SC on Friday before squaring off against San Luis on July 30, while Toronto’s group features New York Red Bulls and seven-time league champions Pachuca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2024.
Elias Grigoriadis, The Canadian Press
