A brace from Sam Surridge, including a 90th-minute match-winner, led Nashville SC to a 2-1 win over host Toronto FC on Wednesday.
Surridge, who entered the match without a goal since May 4, ensured that Nashville (5-5-8, 23 points) snapped a brief two-match winless streak. Meanwhile, Toronto (7-9-3, 24 points) is now winless in its last five matches (0-3-2) and has lost back-to-back matches.
Both teams were held without a shot on goal until the 16th minute, when Nashville keeper Joe Willis stopped a Federico Bernardeschi attempt from just outside the box.
Toronto continued to push for the opener and looked to be on the verge of finding it after Bernardeschi won a penalty after being pulled down in the box by Tah Brian Anunga. But Bernardeschi, who missed Saturday’s match while serving a red-card suspension, saw his resulting penalty kick sail harmlessly over the crossbar as the match remained scoreless.
Toronto would finally make good on its chance in the 34th minute, as Alonso Coello took a Bernardeschi pass and laced it past Willis to make it 1-0. It was Coello’s first MLS goal.
Nashville, without six players due either to injury or international duty and among the lowest-scoring teams in MLS, failed to put a shot on target until a 65th-minute goal from Surridge, a far-post finish past backup Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran that put the visitors back on level terms.
Surridge delivered again just before stoppage time, poking a cross into the net as Nashville won its first match since May 29. It also was his seventh of the season, extending his team lead.
The victory improved Nashville to 2-3-3 away from home. Toronto fell to 5-5-0 at home and has lost three in a row at BMO Field.
Toronto was without starting goalkeeper Sean Johnson (United States) plus Richie Laryea and team captain Jonathan Osorio (Canada) due to Copa America. Shane O’Neill, Tyrese Spicer and Brandon Servania missed the match as well due to injury.
–Field Level Media
