Toronto FC entered Wednesday night on an 11-game unbeaten run while the Montreal Impact headed in on a four-match losing streak.
You would have been hard-pressed to guess that based on what transpired.
Three goals inside the first 24 minutes paved the way for the Impact in a 5-3 victory of rivals Toronto at BMO Field. Ignacio Piatti and Anthony Jackson-Hamel each had braces for Montreal, who were up 5-1 after 51 minutes before Tosaint Ricketts scored twice to trim the deficit.
The defeat snapped league-leading Toronto FC's undefeated run as well as their six-game winning streak. It also marked their first home loss of the season.
Goals
- 10' – MTL – Ignacio Piatti Watch
- 12' – MTL – Marco DonadelWatch
- 24' – MTL – Ignacio Piatti Watch
- 42' – TOR – Deian Boldor (Own Goal) Watch
- 47' – MTL – Anthony Jackson-Hamel
- 51' – MTL – Anthony Jackson-Hamel
- 77' – TOR – Tosaint Ricketts
- 79' – TOR – Tosaint Ricketts
Three Things
- DREAM START: Four days after suffering a demoralizing defeat to Minnesota United, the Impact put forth a performance to be proud about. They posted five goals on Toronto's usually-stingy defense, and three of those came inside the first 24 minutes. Still, it was the first goal -- which came in the 10th minute off a fortuitous deflection after Alex Bono's attempted kick upfield ricocheted off of Piatti and into the net -- that set the tone. The strike forced Toronto to open up, and that played right into the hands of Montreal's counterattacking style.
- DISASTROUS NIGHT: Toronto may have made things slightly interesting after Ricketts bagged a brace, but this was still an overall poor showing from the Supporters' Shield leaders. Yes, missing Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore hurt Toronto FC's cause, but that was still not enough of an excuse for how badly the club played from the outset. They were never really in this one.
- SENSATIONAL STRIKES: Making things even sweeter for Montreal on the night was two of their goals. Piatti's 24th-minute winner was impressive because of how well he placed his strong shot, but arguably the best finish of the match came from Donadel 12 minutes earlier. Donadel struck from distance with an absolute rocket, stinging his effort past a soaring Bono and into the back of the net. It was a highlight reel-worthy goal, and one that Donadel and Impact fans will not forget for some time.
Next Up
- TOR: Saturday, Sept. 23 – at New England Revolution (5 pm ET | TSN1; MLS LIVE in the US)
- MTL: Sunday, Sept. 24 – at Atlanta United (5 pm ET | FOX; TVAS in Canada)
