WATCH: Hagglund header sends Toronto, Montreal to extra time

Thomas Floyd

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WATCH: Hagglund header sends Toronto, Montreal to extra time image

The Eastern Conference final between Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact has lived up to the hype.

Goals for Toronto from Armando Cooper, Jozy Altidore and Nick Hagglund negated strikes from Dominic Oduro and Ignacio Piatti on Wednesday at BMO Field, drawing TFC level with the Impact 5-5 on aggregate and 2-2 on away goals — sending the series to extra time.

Oduro opened the scoring in the second leg, burying a Matteo Mancosu feed in the 24th minute to extend the Impact's lead after a 3-2 victory last week in Montreal.

But Cooper responded 13 minutes later, prodding home from close range after Hagglund got his head to a Sebastian Giovinco corner kick and forced a goal-line clearance.

And TFC made it 2-1 on the night moments before halftime as Altidore flicked a Giovinco corner inside the near post. With the goal, Altidore marked five straight playoff games on the score sheet.

It was a bruising first half between the Canadian rivals, with the tone set by a brutal collision between Altidore and Impact midfielder Hernan Bernardello that briefly left both players dazed.

Piatti returned the lead to Montreal in the 53rd minute, connecting with a Johan Venegas through ball and rolling a effort that barely crossed the goal line — though replays showed it may have actually been a Hagglund own goal, as the Toronto defender got the final touch while trying to intervene.

Either way, Hagglund earned redemption in the 68th minute as his towering header off a Justin Morrow cross set the stage for extra time.

Thomas Floyd