TORONTO – It's been a tough few weeks for Toronto FC but they put their recent troubles behind them, handing Orlando City SC a 5-0 defeat on Saturday afternoon.
Entering the match, the sides were separated by a mere three points in a mass of clubs straddling either side of the red line.
After exchanging early looks, the game settled into a rhythm. Toronto pressing forward and Orlando fending them off, looking to spring counters when possible.
That pattern held until the 36th minute when Orlando right back Rafael Ramos was sent off for a challenge on Justin Morrow, lunging in late and hard on the TFC fullback.
Any illusion of an Orlando shutout vanished less than a minute after the start of the second half when Michael Bradley pounced on a loose pass from Adrian Winter, sauntered towards goal down the left before picking out the curling run of Marky Delgado, who placed the ball into the wide open net past a helpless Tally Hall to give Toronto a lead.
And just as he did earlier this month, Sebastian Giovinco padded Toronto's advantage with a stunning free kick, guiding his right-footer over the wall, from the left-edge of the arc, and in off the right-post; the opposite one he chose to kiss his free-kick off in the last meeting between the two teams.
Stung, Orlando would seek to respond five minutes later when a nice Kaká run down the left found Lewis Neal in the middle, but Daniel Lovitz, a halftime substitute, was in position to block the effort.
Toronto survived that scare, adding a third for insurance in the 71st minute when Giovinco laid Bradley down the left-side of the area, he in turn squared for Morrow to side-foot in with his left-boot.
Come the 83rd minute they would make it four, as substitute Jozy Altidore ended his drought with a goal from the penalty spot after Robbie Findley had been tripped at the edge of the box by Winter, who was dismissed for his second booking, reducing Orlando to nine men.
Two minutes later, it was five. Altidore again getting the required touch, nodding in at the right-post after Findley squared the ball across the box on a Bradley free kick. It was the first time Toronto has scored five goals in a game.
The win was TFC's third of the season over the expansion Lions, who will return home to lick their wounds in anticipation of a better result next weekend on Saturday against the Chicago Fire (7:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE). Toronto also takes to the pitch that same day hosting Canadian rivals, Montreal Impact (4 pm ET; TSN/RDS2/MLS LIVE).
