CF Montreal build early lead, hang on to beat Toronto FC

Updated: Aug 21, 2023, 04:12 am

Mathieu Choiniere scored twice to help CF Montreal to a 3-2 win against host Toronto FC on Sunday.

Montreal (10-12-2, 32 points) is 6-0-1 in its past seven matches against Toronto, including four straight victories.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Federico Bernardeschi had a brace for Toronto (3-12-10, 19 points), which has lost seven straight matches.

Montreal took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute. Jules-Anthony Vilsaint took a long ball up the left side before cutting to the middle for a shot from outside the box that struck the right post. The rebound bounced to the left, where Choiniere was first to the ball to tuck it into the near side.

The visitors benefited from an own goal in the 25th minute to double their advantage. Toronto goalkeeper Tomas Romero dove to try to get his hands on a shot from Vilsaint from the left side, but the ball rolled past him and went off the foot of oncoming defender Aime Mabika to make it 2-0 Montreal.

Montreal came close to adding a third goal late in the first half on a header from Bryce Duke, but the attempt hit the crossbar.

Toronto left the pitch at halftime to boos from the home crowd.

The Reds were rejuvenated as play resumed, pressuring and generating opportunities in the attacking third.

In the 48th minute, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty fed a cross to Bernardeschi in the box that was cleared by Montreal. Six minutes later, Bernardeschi took a shot from the right side but defender Aaron Herrera got his head on it to deflect it away.

Toronto finally connected in the 66th minute. Bernardeschi took a feed from Lorenzo Insigne from outside the box and struck it into the far side of the net to cut his team's deficit to 2-1. It was the club's first goal since tallying in the 11th minute on June 24.

Choiniere restored the two-goal lead in the 79th minute when he converted on a penalty after Toronto's Raoul Petretta was shown a red card for a foul in the box, leaving the home side down a man for the remainder of the match.

Bernardeschi pulled Toronto within one in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time with a right-footed kick from the edge of the box.