Toronto FC playoff hopes take a body blow in loss to visiting New York Red Bulls

With several teams nipping its heels in the standings, Toronto FC faces a must-win game against the visiting New York Red Bulls on Wednesday. Columbus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki (left) and Toronto FC midfielder Alonso Coello (14) collide during MLS action in Toronto on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Katsarov

Toronto FC’s playoff hopes took a body blow Wednesday in a 4-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls that featured three penalties, a goal called back and a red card.

Toronto finished with 10 men, losing Italian star Federico Bernardeschi to a second yellow card in the 75th minute. Toronto defender Shane O’Neill conceded two penalties.

After missing the MLS post-season for the last three seasons, Toronto came into the game in eighth place in the Eastern Conference — looking to hang on to its wild-card playoff berth. The eighth- and ninth-place teams meet in a playoff wild-card game, with the winner moving on to face the first seed in the best-of-three first round.

TFC was ninth, overtaken by CF Montreal, when the final whistle blew with other results still to come. Philadelphia (9-13-10) was 10th, with the same points as Toronto and a game in hand.

Toronto (11-18-4) closes out the season Saturday at home to league-leading Inter Miami. Bernardeschi will miss the game through suspension.

Toronto is not mathematically eliminated but is in big trouble, having played a game more than teams around it. TFC has not made the playoffs since 2020, when it was upset 1-0 by expansion Nashville at the first hurdle.

Playing on a bumpy BMO Field playing surface that cut up as the game progressed, Toronto conceded a first-half penalty by Emil Forsberg and second-half goals by John Tolkin, Lewis Morgan (another penalty) and Elias Manoel.

Down 2-0, Toronto pulled one back from the penalty spot via substitute Prince Owusu in the 66th minute after Richie Laryea went down after tangling with defender Peter Stroud with the Red Bulls defence left discombobulated by a Bernardeschi shot.

But Morgan scored from the spot three minutes later to restore the visitors’ two-goal lead and Manoel added an insurance goal in the 88th minute.

Coming off a 5-1 loss to rival New York City FC, the Red Bulls (11-7-14) arrived winless in six (0-3-3) and had just one win in their previous 11 (1-3-7) since a 3-0 victory over Toronto on June 22. Despite the lopsided NYCFC defeat, other results meant the Red Bulls clinched a playoff berth to become the first club in league history to make the post-season in 15 straight seasons.

The Red Bulls had more of the ball to start the game and appealed for a penalty after Scottish international Morgan was bodied away from the ball by O’Neill in the 23rd minute. Referee Filip Dujic reviewed the play on the pitchside monitor and eventually pointed to the penalty spot, citing a “tripping offence.”

Forsberg converted the penalty in the 27th minute for his seventh of the season. The Swedish international midfielder, recovered from a lower leg injury, made his first start since early June.

Bernardeschi hammered a shot from distance just wide in the 35th minute — one of TFC’s three first-half shots, all off-target. It was one of several close tries by the Italian wingback.

Kevin Long scored on a header off a Bernardeschi corner in the 39th minute but the celebration was short-lived as the goal was waved off, apparently for an offside Derrick Etienne Jr. interfering with goalkeeper Carlos Coronel.

An irate Bernardeschi was booked soon after. Sean Johnson, in his 399th career MLS start, made two big saves during the half.

The Red Bulls doubled their lead in the 48th minute with an unmarked Tolkin allowed to take a shot from just inside the penalty box that beat Johnson.

After Owusu’s ninth goal of the season, the Red Bulls got another penalty when O’Neill was called for taking down Cameron Harper in a clumsy attempt to track down an aerial ball. Morgan converted the 69th-minute spot kick for his 13th goal of the season.

Bernardeschi was sent off for the third time this season after pulling down a Red Bull.

Manoel scored on a counterattack after Etienne hit the crossbar in the 88th minute.

TFC came into the game tied on points with Philadelphia and CF Montreal. Toronto was ahead in the standings, however, due to more wins (the first tiebreaker). Atlanta and D.C. United were a further three points behind.

Toronto, winless in its three previous league outings (0-2-1), had gone 4-4-1 in league play since emerging from a nine-game, seven-week winless run (0-7-2).

Toronto coach John Herdman made five changes to the starting lineup that drew 1-1 at Chicago on Saturday, with O’Neill, Etienne, Tyrese Spicer, Deybi Flores and Deandre Kerr slotting in

Star forward Lorenzo Insigne, listed as questionable due to a calf issue, did not dress. Defenders Nicksoen Gomis and Henry Wingo and forward Charlie Sharp also sat out.

The Red Bulls came into the game unbeaten in their last 10 meetings with Toronto (7-0-3) — not counting a July shootout loss in Leagues Cup play that followed a scoreless draw in regulation.

TFC has not beaten the Red Bulls since July 2019, a 3-1 decision at BMO Field.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2024