Toronto FC (10W-15L-3T, 33 points) fell to the visiting D.C. United (7W-12L-8T, 26 points) by a 1-3 scoreline at BMO Field on Saturday evening.

First Half:

Toronto FC gaffer John Herdman employed four changes from his side that started in the midweek Canadian Championship victory against Forge FC with Kevin Long, Matty Longstaff, Deybi Flores and Tyrese Spicer coming in for Federico Bernardeschi, Kosi Thompson, Jonathan Osorio and Prince Owusu.

After a relatively quiet opening 25 minutes, the game sprung into life with goalscoring opportunities in quick succession at both ends of the field. First, Sean Johnson was forced into a low save from Ted Ku-DiPietro’s 26^th minute effort before Derrick Etienne Jr.’s goal-bound effort was saved by former Red Alex Bono merely seconds later.

Four minutes later, Lorenzo Insigne dispossessed Ted Ku-DiPietro outside of the DC box and tested Alex Bono with a left-footed shot that was parried out by the Syracuse, New York native for a corner kick. The Reds nearly opened the scoring in one of the final sequences of the first half when Raoul Petretta’s side-footed effort Lorenzo Insigne’s pass in the penalty area wrongfooted Bono and was deflected out for the fourth TFC corner of the half.

With both sides unable to find a first-half opener, the two Eastern Conference clubs entered the half-time interval level at zero.

Second Half:

Midway into the second half, the Black-and-Red found a breakthrough through a well-worked set-piece routine that was finished by substitute Martín Rodríguez in the 67^th minute.

Less than a minute after entering the action as a substitute, D.C. United’s Dominique Badji tapped home his own rebound from Sean Johnson’s save only for his 78^th minute effort to be ruled out by the linesman’s offside flag.

Five minutes later, the Reds found their equalizer when Richie Laryea’s cross into the box was powered home by substitute Deandre Kerr’s unstoppable header. The 83^rd minute goal marked Kerr’s 15^th goal for Toronto FC, Laryea’s first assist of the 2024 campaign and Henry Wingo’s first assist for his new club.

The hosts, however, were unable to complete the second-half turnaround on the night as late goals from substitutes Dominique Badji in the 88^th minute and Gabriel Pirani in the 93^rd minute ultimately sealed the 3-1 road victory and all three points for D.C. United at BMO Field.

Following the international break in September, Toronto FC resume MLS action in a home encounter against Austin FC on Saturday, September 15. Kickoff from BMO Field is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and on TSN in Canada.

LINEUPS

TORONTO FC – Sean Johnson (C); Henry Wingo, Kevin Long, Nicksoen Gomis (Shane O’Neill 84’); Richie Laryea, Matty Longstaff, Deybi Flores, Raoul Petretta (Kosi Thompson 75’), Tyrese Spicer (Prince Owusu 63’); Derrick Etienne Jr., Lorenzo Insigne (Deandre Kerr 75’)

Substitutes Not Used: Luka Gavran, Aimé Mabika, Sigurd Rosted, Kobe Franklin, Brandon Servania

D.C. UNITED – Alex Bono; Aaron Herrera, Lucas Bartlett, Christopher McVey (Martín Rodríguez 46’), Pedro Santos; Matti Peltola, Jared Stroud (Jacob Murrell 85’), Mateusz Klich, Cristian Dájome (Garrison Tubbs 90+2’); Christian Benteke (C) (Dominique Badji 78’), Theodore Ku-DiPietro (Gabriel Pirani 78’)

Substitutes Not Used: Luis Zamudio, Hayden Sargis, Jeremy Garay

MEDIA NOTES

• Henry Wingo started his first Major League Soccer match and registered his first assist for Toronto FC.
• Deandre Kerr scored his 15^th goal for TFC across all competitions.
• Richie Laryea registered his first assist of the 2024 campaign.
• Lorenzo Insigne made his 50^th MLS appearance for Toronto FC.

POSTMATCH SOUND

Link can be found here