By Canadian Press

Toronto FC can’t hold onto early lead against Orlando, falls to fifth straight loss

Jul 3, 2024 | 7:03 PM

TORONTO — Orlando City SC rallied from an early deficit to dispatch Toronto FC 2-1 in MLS play Wednesday, handing John Herdman’s slumping side its fifth straight loss.

Derrick Etienne Jr. scored for Toronto, which led after five minutes but went into halftime trailing 2-1. Martin Ojeda scored for Orlando, which also benefited from an own goal by Toronto defender Nicksoen Gomis.

The victory pulled Orlando (6-9-6) even on points with Toronto (7-12-3) with a game in hand.

It was a game short on entertainment but with a fair degree of niggle, especially in the second half, with seven yellow cards.

Toronto is now winless in eight games (0-6-2) and has lost five of its last six league matches at home. TFC, outscored 13-4 during the losing streak, managed just one shot on target Wednesday.

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Orlando arrived with its own problems, coming off a 4-2 loss at New York City FC and having won just one of its previous seven outings (1-4-2).

Despite a string of early giveaways, Toronto went ahead in the fifth minute through Etienne. Federico Bernardeschi, named to the MLS all-star game earlier in the week, found fellow wingback Raoul Petretta with a long ball at the back post. Petretta headed the ball back across goal and Etienne, with the Orlando defence in disarray, hammered it home from close range for his second goal in Toronto colours.

Orlando, with Ojeda pulling the strings, began to find its footing and tied the game in the 27th minute. Facundo Torres slipped the ball to Colombian Ivan Angulo, who beat Bernardeschi to send in a fine cross that an unmarked Ojeda, a designated player from Argentina, headed home for his second of the season.

Lorenzo Insigne, starved of the ball, finally got his chance in the 39th minute, bending a shot from distance just wide of the Orlando goalpost. But the Italian star was a bystander for long stretches of the half.

Orlando kept probing and went ahead in the 45th minute when Torres’s cross deflected off Gomis’s leg past goalkeeper Sean Johnson. It took just two Orlando passes to cover the Toronto half of the field with seven defenders in the Toronto penalty box when the goal was scored.

Torres should have made it 3-1 early in the second half when the Toronto defence was cut open but the Uruguayan forward was unable to convert. Toronto, meanwhile, had a chance in the 53rd but a sliding Prince Owusu could not get his boot to the ball.

Ojeda was substituted in the 69th minute and did not look happy about it. Toronto midfielder Deybi Flores was cautioned two minutes later, earning a suspension for yellow card accumulation.

Kosi Thompson had a chance to tie the game in stoppage time but his shot rattled off the crossbar. Luis Muriel then shot wide at the other end.

Both teams had their starting goalkeepers back from international duty at Copa America — Johnson with the U.S. and Pedro Gallese, along with midfielder Wilder Cartagena, from Peru.

Johnson had fans’ hearts in their mouth in the 12th minute when he misplayed the ball, which almost rolled into the Toronto goal. But the veteran ‘keeper calmly retrieved it and then dribbled past an Orlando attacker before sending the ball up the pitch

Toronto captain/midfielder Jonathan Osorio and fullback/wingback Richie Laryea remain at Copa America with Canada advancing to the knockout round.

Herdman made three changes to the starting 11 beaten 2-1 on a freak 97th-minute goal on the weekend in Atlanta with Johnson, Thompson and Aime Mabika slotting in. TFC II midfielders Markus Cimermancic and Nathaniel Edwards, signed to short-term agreements to make up the numbers, were on the bench.

TFC’s injury list includes wingback Tyrese Spicer and midfielders Alonso Coello and Brandon Servania. Centre back Kevin Long was suspended for yellow card accumulation.

Orlando is now undefeated in its last five trips to BMO Field (3-0-2), last losing there in May 2018. And Orlando is 7-1-1 against TFC since the beginning of 2021.

But Toronto won 2-1 when the teams met April 27 in Orlando with late goals from Spicer (87th minute) and Owusu (90th minute) completing the comeback.

Toronto visits reigning champion Columbus on Saturday while Orlando hosts D.C. United.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2024

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press