



After a road defeat to the New England Revolution on Saturday that was disappointing on multiple levels, Toronto FC were back home for a midweek fixture against Orlando City on Wednesday. With the Reds conceding goals at an alarming rate in recent weeks, Greg Vanney’s side were going to have to find a way to shut down one of the hottest goalscorers in the league in Canadian International and surefire 2015 MLS Rookie of the Year Cyle Larin.



With two Designated Players - Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore – unavailable to due to injury and suspension respectively, TFC were likely going to need another big performance from the Atomic Ant to get back on form and add to their win column.



Midfielder Collen Warner returned to starting eleven after missing last weekend’s match due to a suspension for yellow card accumulation and Robbie Findley got the start up top alongside Giovinco.



On the Orlando side of the equation, Adrian Heath’s side went into this game without the services of Designated Player Kaka due to injury.

Open Player in a New Window | Subscribe | iTunes | MP3 The Opening 45



TFC keeper Joe Bendik once again bailed out his team in the early going with two big stops on Cyle Larin after some sloppy defending by Damien Perquis.



Some intelligent play by Giovinco in the 11th minute saw the crafty Italian win a penalty kick after he was brought down in the box by Orlando defender Aurélien Collin. The Atomic Ant then stepped and beat goalkeeper Tally Hally on the resulting spot kick.



However, Toronto once again saw their chance at a clean sheet ended early in the match when Orlando equalized in the 17th minute when Orlando City defender Luke Boden blasted home a shot from the top of the TFC box.



The Reds came close to taking the lead in the 20th minute on some fantastic buildup play that finished with midfielder Marky Delgado putting his shot just wide of the post.



Toronto came close again just before the half time break when midfielder Benoit Cheyrou split the Orlando defense with a brilliant pass that sent Giovinco in alone on Hall, with the veteran MLS keeper ultimately coming up with a big save to keep the score at a 1-1 stalemate.



The Second Half



Toronto FC regained the lead in the 57th minute after some more intelligent and industrious play by their most valuable player, with Giovinco earning a foul several yards outside the Orlando City box and then curling in a genuinely brilliant goal on the ensuing free kick.



With Kaka and other key players unavailable due to injury, Orlando lost steam as the match progressed, with the visiting team unable to generate any significant scoring chances in the second half.



TFC added an insurance goal in the 81st minute off of an inventive free kick sequence that saw midfielder Collen Warner head in a perfectly placed cross by Jonathan Osorio.



Giovinco capped off a wonderful performance by completing a hat trick in the 88th minute when he added a goal from open play in the 88th minute, with his 16th goal of the season setting a new single season scoring record for Toronto.

#Giovinco is in a class of his own. At his best - unplayable in @MLS. Already in a one horse race for League MVP. #TFCLive #TFC #MLS. — Nigel Reed (@Nigel_Reed) August 6, 2015



Man of the Match



Sebastian Giovinco



While a number of TFC players delivered fine performances in this match, once again Sebastian Giovinco was the clear Man of the Match. The Atomic Ant gave the Orlando defenders fits all evening and his hat trick was the main ingredient in a much needed victory for Toronto. His free kick on the game winning goal was simply world class and unstoppable by any keeper in the world.







Jackson had another very solid match playing at the right back spot, defending well and delivering a number of dangerous crosses from the right side of the pitch. Jonathan Osorio also had another solid match, linking up very well with his teammates and picking up an assist on Warner’s goal.



Similar to Giovinco, Benoit Cheyrou was a pure joy to watch playing as a holding midfielder. The Frenchman distributed the ball masterfully and was a constant and perpetual outlet for his teammates throughout the night.



Toronto FC Line-up



12 Joe Bendik

11 Jackson

24 Damien Perquis

41 Ahmed Kantari

2 Justin Morrow

8 Benoit Cheyrou

21 Jonathan Osorio

26 Collen Warner

18 Marky Delgado

55 Robbie Findley

10 Sebastian Giovinco



Substitutions: Jay Chapman for Robbie Findley (72’); Eriq Zavaleta for Damien Perquis (82’); Daniel Lovitz for Collen Warner (87’).