CF Montreal beats Toronto FC for sixth consecutive win

MONTREAL — Winger Lassi Lappalainen and striker Chinonso Offor each scored as CF Montreal beat Toronto FC in Major League Soccer play to win the Canadian Classique 2-0 on Saturday evening.

Defender George Campbell earned an help on the primary purpose for Montreal (5-6-0), which received its sixth straight sport in all competitions.

Toronto (2-4-5) spent the ultimate 34 minutes all the way down to 10 males after winger Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty obtained a purple card.

Goalkeeper Sean Johnson was the standout participant for the visiting aspect, making 4 saves. Italian stars Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne had been stored comparatively quiet on Toronto’s offence all through the match.

Toronto (2-4-5) has suffered its third straight defeat in all competitions after additionally shedding to Montreal within the Canadian Championship quarterfinal on Tuesday, a match marred by fights within the stands.

Saturday’s match wasn’t with out fireworks as a scrum broke out between each groups on the finish of the match.

The injury-depleted Reds have one win of their final 9 matches.

Lappalainen, who got here on in its place at halftime, broke the impasse within the 53rd minute. Campbell dribbled round a number of opponents and laid the ball off to the Finnish winger, who slotted a low cross into the field previous Johnson earlier than a sellout crowd of 19,619 at Stade Saputo.

Things bought worse from there for Toronto. Marshall-Rutty earned his second yellow card of the match within the 56th minute to place the visiting aspect all the way down to 10 males. Marshall-Rutty obtained the second warning for delaying the sport when Montreal was trying a throw-in.

Offor doubled Montreal’s lead within the 68th minute, ending a cross from Zachary Brault-Guillard that deflected off Toronto defender Aime Mabika.

Johnson made a sequence of saves late within the second half to maintain Toronto’s deficit at two, stopping Ariel Lassiter, Brault-Guillard and Choiniere on the doorstep.

In the primary half, neither membership produced a shot on purpose.

Toronto FC dominated possession within the first 25 minutes, usually funnelling their offence by way of Bernardeschi, and compelled Montreal into committing a number of turnovers, however had bother discovering a ending product within the last third.

Bernardeschi had the possibility to make a play for Toronto within the field within the 18th minute, however Montreal defender Robert Thorkelsson, in his first MLS begin, defended him nicely to pressure a nook, which led to nothing.

Montreal then began placing extra strain on the guests.

Montreal’s greatest likelihood to attain within the first half got here within the twenty ninth minute when wingback Aaron Herrera broke down the suitable aspect and located Offor within the field, however the striker put his header over the online.

Moments later, Herrera introduced extra vitality to the house crowd by dancing round Toronto defenders down the suitable wing and sending a cross that fell proper in entrance of the opposing purpose, however didn’t discover a teammate on the opposite finish.

Montreal got here near giving the house aspect the lead heading into halftime when midfielder Mathieu Choiniere broke out on the break and slid a go to oncoming winger Ariel Lassiter down the left aspect, however Lassiter’s shot went extensive.

Montreal completed the opening body with three yellow playing cards, as Campbell, Thorkelsson and Herrera had been all penalized.

Montreal stored cranking up the strain to open the second half. Midfielder Sean Rea performed a ball into the field for Choiniere, who had his shot try on Toronto’s doorstep blocked by defender Mabika.

30TH ANNIVERSARY

CF Montreal celebrated the franchise’s thirtieth anniversary with a ceremony on the pitch at halftime. Montreal, then referred to as the Impact, performed its inaugural season within the American Professional Soccer League in 1993 and its first MLS season in 2012. The franchise rebranded to develop into CF Montreal in January 2021. As a part of the celebration, Montreal additionally unveiled a brand new historic path at Stade Saputo to commemorate the membership’s 30-year historical past.

NO SUPPORTERS SECTION

CF Montreal closed the visiting supporters’ part at Stade Saputo for Saturday’s match after fights between Toronto FC and Montreal followers broke out within the BMO Field stands through the Canadian Championship quarterfinal on Tuesday. Toronto FC followers who’d purchased seats within the supporters’ part for Saturday had been refunded and the tickets had been put again up on the market.

UP NEXT

Montreal hits the street to play FC Cincinnati on Wednesday and New York Red Bulls subsequent Saturday.

Toronto hosts the Red Bulls on Wednesday, then visits Austin FC subsequent Saturday.

More from Sportsnet

Toronto FC palms everlasting bans to 4 supporters after violence at BMO Field

Finally again in kind, Campbell getting conversant in new teammates at CF Montreal

.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper {
show: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
hole: 20px;
}

.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper a {
pointer-events: none;
cursor: default;
text-decoration: none;
colour: black;
}