The Colorado Rapids celebrated making the playoffs Saturday. Toronto FC has lots extra work to do to hitch them, with groups nipping at their heels.
A rejigged Toronto aspect weathered a storm within the first half, going into the break at 0-0. However Colorado went forward within the 52nd minute by way of Reggie Cannon and padded the lead with a late Djordje Mihailovic penalty for a 2-0 win.
Toronto managed simply two pictures on course, failing to hit the mark as a rule regardless of inflicting some issues within the Colorado penalty field.
“I assumed we had sufficient alternatives within the second half to get one thing out of the sport,” stated Toronto coach John Herdman, who dug into his roster to save lots of gamers for Wednesday’s Canadian Championship closing in Vancouver.
“However we simply can’t appear to seek out that killer punch in the mean time,” he added.
The win vaulted Colorado (15-10-5, 50 factors) previous Los Angeles FC into third place within the Western Convention.
It’s been a powerful turnaround below first-year Rapids coach Chris Armas. Colorado completed twenty eighth within the league final season at 5-17-12 (solely Toronto had a worse document at 4-20-10) and completed 17 factors out of the playoffs.
“I’m happy with these guys as a result of that’s a giant accomplishment — for a staff that many picked to complete final within the Western Convention,” stated Armas, who was fired by Toronto in July 2021 after simply 11 video games (1-8-2) in cost.
“There’s extra on the market for us, however we should always cease and rejoice a giant accomplishment on the evening,” he added.
Toronto (11-7-3, 36 factors) stays in eighth spot within the Japanese Convention, on the playoff bubble with one eye over its shoulder.
Colorado pulled forward on a well-constructed counterattack. Darren Yapi was the supplier, threading a move to Cannon who sidefooted a low shot into the nook from simply outdoors the penalty field for a aim in his first begin for the Rapids.
The 26-year-old Cannon joined Colorado on Sept. 11 as a free agent following a stint with Queens Park Rangers in England’s second-tier Championship.
Herdman introduced on Richie Laryea, Matty Longstaff and Deandre Kerr to open the second half. Federico Bernardeschi joined them within the 56th minute and Alonso Coello within the 72nd.
Bolstered by the substitutions, Toronto supplied extra in assault.
However Mihailovic delivered the coup de grace from the penalty spot within the 91st minute — a Panenka down the center — after Aime Mabika introduced down Yapi. It was the eleventh targets of the season for the previous CF Montreal midfielder, who set a Colorado membership document along with his twentieth aim contribution of the season.
Colorado outshot Toronto 17-11 (9-2 in pictures on course) and had an xG (anticipated targets) of three.1 in comparison with 1.5 for Toronto.
Herdman, who can be coping with some harm issues, made eight adjustments to his beginning 11 — with solely goalkeeper Sean Johnson, defender Sigurd Rosted and winger Derrick Etienne Jr. remaining.
Toronto’s beginning 11 didn’t embrace any of its designated gamers with Laryea and Bernardeschi on the bench to start out. Lorenzo Insigne, the opposite DP, and captain Jonathan Osorio — each listed as questionable after feeling some tightness of their legs through the mid-week 2-0 loss to visiting Columbus — didn’t gown.
Armas made 5 adjustments to his lineup.
Toronto failed to select up factors on the evening and obtained little assist elsewhere.
Charlotte blanked New England 4-0, making a five-point buffer (together with New York Metropolis FC) over Toronto with a recreation in hand. Montreal downed Chicago 2-0 to maneuver into ninth place with 34 factors additionally having performed a recreation much less.
Philadelphia and D.C United, each on 33 factors, meet Sunday.
The eight- and ninth-place groups in every convention meet in a playoff wild-card recreation, with the winner advancing to face the highest seed (presently Inter Miami within the East).
The Rapids had 63.5 per cent possession within the first half, outshooting Toronto 10-3 (5-0 in pictures on course). An ailing Etienne needed to depart on the break.
Rosted made his fiftieth look for Toronto throughout all competitions, changing into the tenth present TFC participant to succeed in the milestone. TFC midfielder Brandon Servania made his one hundredth MLS look in his sixth season, break up between FC Dallas and Toronto.
Colorado improved to 10-2-3 at Dick’s Sporting Items Park this season, unbeaten in its earlier 10 league video games (8-0-2) there since a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Might 11. Toronto has not received there since a 1-0 resolution in August 2008, going 0-6-2 since together with a scoreless draw the final time they met in September 2021.
The sport kicked off a three-game Toronto street journey.
At stake in Wednesday’s closing towards the defending champion Whitecaps is the Voyageurs Cup, a berth within the CONCACAF Champions Cup and $50,000 from Canada Soccer in prize cash.
Toronto then returns to league play, taking part in at Chicago subsequent Saturday earlier than returning dwelling to host the New York Crimson Bulls on Oct. 2 and Inter Miami on Oct. 5.