Just when it seemed New York City FC would squeeze out a scoreless draw on the road, Toronto FC dealt Patrick Vieira's side a pair of brutal blows.
Jozy Altidore and Tosaint Ricketts scored late in the Eastern Conference semifinal first leg Sunday at BMO Field, giving Toronto a 2-0 win entering next weekend's match at Yankee Stadium.
TFC waited until the 84th minute to go on top, with Sebastian Giovinco hitting a centering feed that created a frantic goalmouth scramble before Altidore finally fired into the roof of the net.
JOZY. ALTIDORE. #TORvNYC https://t.co/z5RHeiA1gr
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 31, 2016
And Ricketts added a crucial insurance tally in stoppage time, connecting with a Nick Hagglund cross to force an Eirik Johansen save before prodding home the rebound from point-blank range.
. @TosaintRicketts adds a second for @torontofc ! #TORvNYC https://t.co/f2fAqYvGXH
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 31, 2016