The New York Red Bulls ended a weather-delayed match with their unbeaten home record intact as they defeated struggling Toronto FC 3-0 on Saturday night.
Elias Manoel, Dennis Gjengaar and Cameron Harper each scored for the Red Bulls (9-4-7, 34 points), who improved to 6-0-3 at home. Their six home wins put them two behind LAFC for the league lead.
Toronto (7-10-3, 24 points) has dropped its last three matches and is 0-4-2 over its last six. It’s also 2-5-3 away from home. Its last win anywhere came on May 18 against visiting CF Montreal.
After a 100-minute weather delay began about 10 minutes into the match, New York found the scoreboard in the 30th minute. Manoel’s shot from just beyond the box glanced off the fingertips of goalkeeper Luka Gavran, off the bottom of the crossbar, and past the goal line to make it 1-0. It was Manoel’s fourth goal of the season.
The Red Bulls went up 2-0 just two minutes into the second half following a careless Toronto giveaway near midfield, as Gjengaar’s sliding touch poked a cross from Wikelman Carmona into the net. It was Gjengaar’s first goal in MLS.
Harper made it 3-0 in the 75th minute, capping a brilliant run with a pretty left-footed finish for his fourth goal of the season.
The Red Bulls finished the evening with their third clean sheet in five matches.
Goalkeeper Ryan Meara, getting the start with Carlos Coronel playing for Paraguay in Copa America action, needed just two saves to secure the shutout.
New York outshot Toronto 15-5, with a 7-2 edge in shots on target. Toronto has allowed 11 goals in its last four matches.
Toronto, already missing a host of players due to injury and international duty, was forced into a first-half substitution as Alonso Coello exited in the 39th minute in favor of Kosi Thompson due to an apparent leg injury.
–Field Level Media
