Home sweet home. Toronto FC\u2019s long winless streak is finally over, after a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution in their return to BMO Field.<\/p>\n
Both TFC goals came moments before halftime, earning the Reds their first victory since April 4, snapping a 12-game slide without tasting the full three points in league play.<\/p>\n
Theo Corbeanu gave TFC the 1-0 advantage with a low cross that was redirected into the back of the net by Revs defender Will Sands, before Niklas Dorsch celebrated his first home appearance for the Reds with an incredible strike from long range that found the top corner of the New England net.<\/p>\n
While Corbeanu\u2019s goal needed a bit of luck to end up in the back of the net and was officially credited as an own goal on Sands, Dorsch\u2019s first for Toronto FC was one he\u2019ll never forget. Djordje Mihailovic laid the ball off for the German midfielder at the top of the box and he stepped into it, unleashing a powerful strike that Matt Turner had no chance at reaching in the Revolution goal.<\/p>\n
The TFC fans erupted at the sight of it hitting the back of the net \u2014 quite the way to make a first impression. <\/p>\n
TFC locked things down defensively in the second half to grind out a much-needed win in their push to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe needed three points, and we got three points so it definitely feels great,\u201d Robin Fraser said to reporters including Waking The Red after the match. \u201cAt the end of the day, for everything that\u2019s been going on, we just need to win games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fraser wasn\u2019t ecstatic with the performance. He thought they could have defended better, and reach an even higher level. Good teams find a way to win those games anyway, and Dorsch\u2019s moment of magic got them there. The TFC boss was quick to remind that it\u2019s just one win, but it\u2019s what the team desperately needed to start turning their season around.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought our ability to defend throughout the entire field was not as good as it needs to be, but I thought our determination in box defending was off the charts,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes games go this way, and you have to be able to win ugly ones. This was a game that I felt like we probably didn\u2019t do all the things that we set out to do in terms of how we played and how we defended, but I\u2019ve talked about the character of this team for a long time, and you really see it tonight.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goals were really well-worked, really good goals, but it\u2019s one game. We\u2019ve got our three points, and we need to continue to improve and get ready for the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Things got a bit more difficult when Mihailovic was given a straight red card for an ill-timed sliding tackle from behind on Carles Gil in midfield, given his marching orders by referee Joseph Dickerson in the 76th minute. New England had the ball almost exclusively after that point, but could mostly only muster up a few weak chances at Luka Gavran\u2019s net that he dealt with admirably.<\/p>\n
They were able to squeeze one by Gavran to break up the clean sheet in the 90th minute, with Wilson Harris heading home from a few yards out.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe red card is a little bit unlucky. What we did the last 13 minutes, one man less, I think was incredible,\u201d Dorsch said. \u201cEvery player was fighting with their whole life I would say. We were diving into every ball around the box, so it was unbelievable, blocking a lot of balls, fighting, Luka\u2019s unbelievable saves. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think today we showed what it is to stick together as a team, play as a team, fight for each other, and this is, I think, what we have to do every game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gavran made a huge diving stop early in the first half on Peyton Miller that set the tone for a big win for his side.<\/p>\n
Miller was forced to leave the match later in the half after a head-on-head collision with Richie Laryea that left both with head bandages, but Laryea was able to continue and play the full 90. <\/p>\n
Toronto FC were finally back at BMO Field for the first time since May, with the big win over the Revs kicking off a stretch of home matches that will likely decide the fate of their season.<\/p>\n
Toronto FC had mixed results at home this year leading into Saturday\u2019s match. Two wins, five draws and two losses was how a rare nine-game homestand before the World Cup played out, with late goals in almost every match deciding games one way or the other \u2014 a trend that remarkably continued into this summer\u2019s tournament<\/a>.<\/p>\n With four of their next five games also taking place at BMO Field \u2014 which looks a little different<\/a> than it did before and during the World Cup \u2014 this is a major opportunity for Toronto FC to turn around their form<\/a> and push for a playoff spot. They are now just four points back of the final playoff spot, currently held by D.C. United.<\/p>\n The arrival of Dorsch has proven to be a major midfield boost<\/a> as well after his solid debut in New York City, but the Reds were without captain Jonathan Osorio for this one after he suffered a knee injury in training<\/a>. Nicksoen Gomis, Deandre Kerr and Nelson Palacio all missed out as well due to injury.<\/p>\n Dorsch started in midfield with Mihailovic and Markus Cimermancic, behind a front three of Josh Sargent, Theo Corbeanu and Daniel Salloi. Walker Zimmerman wore the captain\u2019s armband, starting at centre-back alongside the returning Benjamin Kuscevic, with Jackson Gilman and Richie Laryea on either flank in front of goalkeeper Luka Gavran.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the closest thing Robin Fraser has had to his first-choice starting lineup all season. <\/p>\n