Orlando City vs Toronto ends 3-3 after late Pereira goal
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Toronto FC drew 3-3 with Orlando City at BMO Field on Oct 14.
- Matheus Pereira scored in the 89th minute to save one point for Toronto.
- Toronto stays 11th in the East with five games left to play.
Toronto FC and Orlando City drew 3-3 on Oct 14. Matheus Pereira scored the late goal. His 89th-minute strike saved one point for Toronto.
The game took place at BMO Field in Toronto. Six goals made it a busy night for both teams.
What happened
Toronto started fast at home. Lewis Morgan headed in the first goal in the 27th minute. Theo Corbeanu sent in the cross for the goal, according to Sportsnet.
Morgan has now scored in two games in a row, according to Sportsnet. Toronto led 1-0 after that early strike.
Toronto forward Josh Sargent missed two early chances, according to Sportsnet. His 12th-minute shot went wide of the post. His next shot flew over the bar four minutes later.
Daniel Salloi thought he had scored in the 14th minute. His header found the net at the back post. The goal did not stand for offside, according to Waking the Red.
Orlando hit back before the break. The ball struck Pereira's left arm in the box. The referee gave a penalty for the handball.
Martin Ojeda scored the penalty in first-half stoppage time. Stoppage time is extra time at the end of a half. The score stood at 1-1 at the break, according to Sportsnet.
Toronto went ahead again right after the break. Niklas Dorsch lifted a ball past one defender. Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau stopped the shot from Dorsch.
The ball fell to Corbeanu for the goal in the 49th minute. Corbeanu now has three goals this season, according to Sportsnet.
Benjamin Kuscevic nearly made it three for Toronto. His touch on a cross hit the post. Alonso Coello sent the rebound over the bar.
The miss kept the score close at that point, according to Waking the Red.
Orlando then scored twice in quick time. Antoine Griezmann tied the game in the 77th minute. He hit the ball out of the air, according to Waking the Red.
Daryl Dike scored the third goal in the 83rd minute. Dike came on as a substitute to score that goal, according to Waking the Red. Ivan Angulo sent the pass that led to the goal, according to Sportsnet.
Toronto refused to quit at the end. Pereira followed up a shot late in the game. He knocked in the rebound to tie the score.
His goal came in the 89th minute, according to Sportsnet. The goal was Pereira's first in MLS, according to TFC Republic. The final score was Toronto 3, Orlando 3.
Why it matters
One point keeps Toronto alive in the playoff race. Toronto sits 11th in the Eastern Conference, according to TFC Republic. The team is two spots below the playoff line.
The playoff line marks the cut for the next stage. Toronto trails the playoff line by three points, according to TFC Republic. Five games remain in the regular season.
Toronto has now gone 13 games without a clean sheet. A clean sheet means the other team scores zero goals. That stat comes from TFC Republic.
Toronto also kept its home run going. The team is unbeaten in seven games at BMO Field. That run stands at three wins and four draws, according to Sportsnet.
Orlando leaves Toronto with one point as well. Orlando holds a record of 11 wins, 13 losses, and five draws, according to Sportsnet. Martin Ojeda made club history in this game.
His penalty was his 48th goal for Orlando. That total passed Facundo Torres for the club record, according to Waking the Red.
Antoine Griezmann keeps scoring at a fast pace. He has scored 10 goals in 13 games, according to Sportsnet. Theo Corbeanu was key for Toronto on the night.
He scored one goal and set up one goal. His cross set up the first goal for Morgan. His own goal put Toronto ahead again, according to Sportsnet.
Toronto came into this game with fresh belief. The team beat CF Montreal with two late goals, according to Waking the Red. The game also featured two Canadian goalkeepers.
Luka Gavran played in goal for Toronto. Maxime Crepeau played in goal for Orlando. Gavran had hurt his leg on Saturday.
He recovered in time to play, according to Sportsnet. Crepeau made 12 saves in the win over Columbus. That set a club record, according to Sportsnet.
Our Philadelphia Union vs Chicago Fire showdown page covers another Eastern Conference clash.
What happens next
Toronto visits Red Bull New York on Saturday, according to Sportsnet. Orlando hosts DC United on Saturday, according to Sportsnet. Toronto then plays its last home game on Oct 28.
DC United visits BMO Field for that game, according to Waking the Red.
Toronto has shown it can score late in games. That late fight has now shown up twice in a row. Toronto must turn late fight into full wins.
Each point now matters for the playoff race.
Our Vancouver Whitecaps vs St. Louis City showdown page covers more MLS action.
More MLS games ran on the same night.
See Nashville SC vs Sporting KC.
See Seattle Sounders vs FC Dallas.
See Columbus Crew vs Charlotte.
Toronto leaves this game with one point and a late lift. The team must now win games to reach the playoffs. The next test comes on Saturday on the road.
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