TORONTO — It’s not the bright light at the end of the very long dark tunnel, but for long suffering Toronto FC fans it will have to do for now.
TFC looked like world beaters in earning a 4-1 win over D.C. United before an announced crowd of 15,879 fans at BMO Field on Saturday, the club’s bright play a perfect match for the sunny afternoon conditions on the city’s waterfront.
The “Battle of the Basement” between the two worst clubs in Major League Soccer produced four goals of genuine quality, and ended TFC’s winless skid at eight matches. Jared Jeffrey’s stunning long-range effort for D.C. was cancelled out by fantastic strikes from Darel Russell, Bright Dike and Alvaro Rey.
“The guys going forward in the final third really expressed themselves. … We had some great service for the strikers and we had some good finishes,” assistant coach Jim Brennan offered.
Toronto, now with a 5-15-11 record, had not won a league game since Aug. 4. D.C., meanwhile, fell to 3-21-6 and is winless in eight matches (with six losses).
Not to be a party pooper, but TFC fans shouldn’t read too much into this win. This was as winnable a game as the Reds will likely ever play.
With D.C. scheduled to play Real Salt Lake on Tuesday in the final of the U.S. Open Cup, coach Ben Olsen rested most of his key players, including former TFC star Dwayne De Rosario who didn’t even travel to Toronto. Olsen fielded an entirely new starting lineup from the side he put out last week, and he only had five players on the substitute’s bench — the standard is seven.
Little wonder, then, that Toronto was able to ship four goals past the “reserve side” of the league’s last-place team. Still, in a dire and miserable season that has seen the Reds stumble from one failure to another, you take what you can get.
“A win’s a win, regardless of who you’re playing against,” Brennan stated.
TFC was missing players, too. Leading scorer Robert Earnshaw and designated players Matias Laba and Danny Koevermans were ruled out because of injury, while midfielder Jonathan Osorio and captain Steven Caldwell are suspended.
With TFC coach Ryan Nelsen also suspended, Brennan took charge from the sidelines in his MLS coaching debut.
“I enjoyed the occasion and it was great to get a win. But it’s not just down to me. Everybody collectively puts in an effort here,” said Brennan, who served as TFC’s captain before retiring in 2010.
A sloppy opening 15 minutes featuring countless errant passes and turnovers gave way to a piece of genuine magic in the 15th minute when Jeffrey scored on a gorgeous curler from 30 yards out that nestled just inside the far post.
Jeffrey took advantage of a poor headed clearance by defender Doneil Henry and TFC failing to close him down before he unleashed his shot. Still, Jeffrey’s goal was one of the finest ever witnessed in seven seasons at BMO Field.
Not to be outdone, Russell tied things up 10 minutes later for TFC with an equally beautiful goal. D.C.’s defence failed to clear its lines off a free kick, and Russell controlled a chip pass from Bobby Convey with his chest, and with his back towards goal, before pivoting and hitting a sweet volley from six yards out.
It was a highlight-reel goal for Russell, who said he scored a similar one with Norwich City earlier in his career.
“When you’re in the box (defenders) don’t want to do too much because they don’t want give away penalties. You have more time than you think sometimes and lucky for me I had enough to turn and connected well with the ball,” Russell explained.
D.C. goalkeeper Joe Willis made a fantastic diving save on Convey in the 35th minute, and the teams entered halftime on level terms.
The second half fell into a sleepy pattern but it came alive in the 67th minute. TFC defender Mark Bloom shook up his defensive marker — the referee to his credit let play carry on instead of blowing for a foul — and whipped a perfect cross from the right flank for Dike to volley home.
The goal was Dike’s first since joining TFC in a trade from Portland earlier this month. It was also sweet redemption for the bulky forward who’s missed most of this season while recovering from a torn ACL.
“It was a great ball by Bloomie. That’s all you can ask for, is for teammates to make it easier on you. That’s what he did,” Dike said.
TFC padded its lead minutes later via an own-goal off of D.C. defender Conor Shanosky after a probing run into the box from Rey. The Spaniard completed the rout with a fabulous solo effort late in the game, slotting home from in close after dancing around D.C.’s meagre defence.
NOTES: D.C. United still leads the all-time series against Toronto with 10 wins and three draws in 18 meetings… TFC plays the Philadelphia Union (Oct. 5) and Chicago Fire (Oct. 19) on the road before closing out the season at home versus the Montreal Impact on Oct. 26.