Now that's how you bust out of a slump.
Sebastian Giovinco snapped an eight-match league scoring drought with a hat-trick that included a pair of stunning free kicks, leading Toronto FC to a 4-1 victory over D.C. United on Saturday night.
Giovinco opened the scoring when he beat backup 'keeper Travis Worra -- starting because of a wrist injury to Bill Hamid -- from 25-yards out in the 21st minute, then curled a beauty into the top left corner in the 39th to make it 3-1.
Giovinco was denied by the post in the 29th minute after Jared Jeffrey equalized for United in the 24th. Marky Delgado was on hand, though, to knock home the rebound and give TFC the lead for good and extend the visitors' winless streak to four matches.
There was no denying the Atomic Ant in the first minute of stoppage time, when he slotted home Mark Bloom's pass from short range for the final margin.
Box Score
- 21' - TFC - Sebastian Giovinco
- 24' - DC - Jared Jeffrey (Lloyd Sam, Sean Franklin)
- 29' - TFC - Marky Delgado
- 39' - TFC - Sebastian Giovinco
- 90+1' - TFC - Sebastian Giovinco (Mark Bloom)
- Full box score
- Stats
- Watch highlights
Three Things
1. JOZY RETURNS, RICKETTS DEBUTS: Striker Jozy Altidore, who had been out since mid-May with his latest hamstring injury, returned to the pitch Saturday night for TFC. Altidore subbed on in the 72nd minute -- just one minute after well-traveled Canadian international Tosaint Ricketts made his MLS debut. Ricketts, who left Turkish side Boluspor after a dispute over unpaid wages, had been sorting out difficulties with his international transfer paperwork.
2. IMPACT SUBSTITUTION: Mark Bloom didn't come on until the 89th minute, when he replaced Tsubasa Endoh for TFC, but he wasted little time getting onto the score sheet. Bloom recorded the assist on Giovinco's hat-trick goal, a finish out of traffic from nine-yards out.
3. THROWN TO THE WOLVES: Six saves, and still on the short end of a 4-1 rout? It was that kind of night for Travis Worra, who got the start in goal for D.C. because of a wrist injury to Bill Hamid. Worra was peppered with 20 shots on the night -- 10 of those on target -- by the goal-hungry Reds.
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