Toronto FC hands Philadelphia first loss of season

TORONTO — Alejandro Pozuelo scored early in the second half as Toronto FC downed Philadelphia 2-1 Saturday, handing the league-leading Union their first defeat of the MLS season.

Toronto (3-2-2) won its third in a row at home while extending its unbeaten run to four games (3-0-1). Philadelphia (5-1-1) had won a franchise-record five straight prior to Saturday, including four consecutive clean sheets which matched a club mark set in 2017, and was the only MLS team without a defeat.

The Toronto-Philadelphia soccer matchup kicked off some 70 minutes after the Raptors and 76ers tipped off in Philadelphia in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff matchup. The Sixers won 131-111.

It was a chilly evening for the announced crowd of 20,809 at BMO Field with a temperature of four degrees feeling like minus-two. But there was some heat on the pitch with no shortage of niggle as the two teams went at it.

Pozuelo decided the game in the 51st minute with a beautiful goal, taking a pass from Kadin Chung and then dribbling through three defenders before slotting the ball past a diving Andre Blake into the corner. It was the second goal of the season for the Spanish playmaker, named league MVP in 2020.

Philadelphia had its chances later in the game but could not take advantage as TFC bent but didn't break. Toronto suffered through some seven minutes of stoppage time.

Argentine forward Julian Carranza had opened the scoring for Philadelphia in the 34th minute, heading home a cross from Danish international Mikael Uhre with the Toronto defence at sixes and sevens following a rush down the left flank that saw Uhre out-distance defender Shane O'Neill. Toronto has now conceded a goal in a club-record 19 straight home matches.

Jesus Jimenez