TORONTO -- Substitute Jacob Peterson's 80th-minute goal gave 10-man Sporting Kansas City a 2-1 comeback win over Toronto FC in MLS play Saturday night.

The former Toronto midfielder took advantage of the home side's inability to clear a deflected cross and poked the ball past goalie Joe Bendik. Graham Zusi had tied the game for the defending MLS champions in the 48th minute.

Toronto (7-6-5) could have had more on the night, let down by its finishing and not getting much of an assist from the officials. Kansas City (11-5-5) wasn't too happy either for a while, losing captain and star defender Matt Besler in the 76th minute for a second yellow card.

Kansas City has won four straight, is unbeaten in seven league games (6-0-1) and has gone 6-1-3 since back-to-back losses to Philadelphia and Chicago in May. The defending champions also extended their club-record win streak on the road to five games.

The seven-game unbeaten streak is its longest since the club's 12-game unbeaten streak to end the 2012 regular season.

Toronto, who saw its three-game unbeaten streak snapped, pressed hard late in the game and Andy Gruenebaum had to make a good low save on substitute Dwayne De Rosario to preserve the win. Dominic Oduro just failed to get a foot on a cross from Brazilian winger Jackson in stoppage time.

Jackson scored for Toronto and could have had a hat trick on the night if his finishing had been better. The home side was also not happy with the officiating on the night.

Toronto was incensed in the 23rd minute when referee Ted Unkel waved play on after Kansas City defender Aurelien Collin, chasing Brazilian striker Gilberto after a deft through ball from Michael Bradley, appeared to clip the Brazilian's leg. Gilberto, who had a clear path on goal, went down and Bradley went after the referee imploring for a call, which likely would have garnered Collin a red card.

The BMO Field crowd of 22,591 screamed for another red when Oduro was pulled down in the 69th minute, but fullback Igor Juliao saw yellow.

It was an entertaining game, with more than a little niggle. Toronto manager Ryan Nelsen, irate at the officiating for much of the game, would have taken off if he had flapped his arm on the sidelines any more.

Oduro, who set up the Jackson goal, terrorized the left side of the Kansas City defence for much of the night. Bradley was also influential in the middle of the park, carving open the K.C. defence with his passes.

Toronto was without star striker Jermain Defoe, who was sitting out a one-match ban due to an accumulation of yellows. Captain Steven Caldwell (quad) and fellow defender Mark Bloom (knee) were also out.

The home side's injury concerns on defence were not helped by a yellow card in first-half stoppage time to Doneil Henry, who will miss the next game as a result.

Gilberto stepped in for Defoe, partnering with England's Luke Moore, while Bradley Orr and rookie Nick Hagglund retained their place as injury replacements on the backline. Newly acquired midfielder-defender Warren Creavalle was on the bench.

Kansas City was missing goalie Erik Kronberg (hand) and midfielder Paulo Nagamura (ankle).

Toronto had a chance early after Moore flicked on a Bendik clearance to Oduro, whose raking cross eluded Gruenebaum and everyone else before going went just wide.

Two minutes later, Bendik had to be sharp to claw the ball away with one hand after his weak punch in the midst of traffic was fired right back at him.

Oduro made the opening goal, retrieving the ball from an errant K.C. header and beating Besler before slicing open the defence with a pass to Jackson. The Brazilian winger rounded Gruenebaum and scored his third of the season into the empty net.

Hagglund hit the goalpost before Oduro rattled the ball off the post in the 33rd minute after another rampaging run down the right.

Unkel's game management was drawing poor reviews from Toronto players and fans alike. Nelsen had an ongoing dialogue with the fourth official for much of the half, which saw four Toronto players cautioned to none for the visitors.

Each team managed seven shots on the first half, with only one per side on target.

The tying goal came early in the second half after a pinball-like scramble in front of Bendik saw four Kansas City players try to get to the ball. It came back to Zusi at the edge of the box and he curled the ball into the top right corner with Bendik out of position in the 48th minute.

Jackson had a gilt-edged chance in the 60th minute when a Giberto cross found him alone in the box but his one-timer was stopped by Gruenebaum.

The Brazilian shot over the bar in the 66th minute on another glorious chance from a similar position. A Henry header from a free kick bounced over the crossbar in the 76th minute.

Toronto faces a challenging four-game road trip next, facing D.C. United, Montreal, Columbus and Kansas City.