• New York Red Bulls 1 (Lawrence 4’), Toronto FC 0

• Early gaffe by Alex Bono put TFC in a hole

• MLS Cup champs suffer 9th loss of MLS season



TORONTO – The MLS Cup champs’ hangover continues.

Toronto FC created plenty of scoring chances, but ran into a hot goalkeeper in Luis Robles, and ultimately dropped a 1-0 decision to the New York Red Bulls on a muggy and steamy Canada Day evening before 25, 363 spectators at BMO Field.

TFC goalkeeper Alex Bono gifted New York the winning goal in the early minutes of the contest with an uncharacteristic mistake. Sebastian Giovinco also failed to convert on a penalty shot late in the game that would have allowed Toronto to earn a share of the points on offer.

The defeat was Toronto’s ninth of the MLS campaign, this after it only lost five times during its record-breaking 2017 regular season. TFC has just one win in their last six games, and sits in second-last place in the Eastern Conference – eight points below the playoff line.

Toronto largely survived New York’s famous pressing game, carried the play for long stretches, and produced eight shots on target, compared to two for the Red Bulls. And yet, TFC found a way to lose, and make what was otherwise a decent performance count for nothing.

“We need to get something to fall. We’re looking for those building blocks to build on right now because things aren’t falling in our favour,” Toronto coach Greg Vanney stated. “There’s positive things that are out there, but we have to turn the positives into a result.”

He added later: “We can’t just be this team when everything is going well that we’re there and ready. Even when things aren’t going well, we have to look at each other and be ready, and compete in the same capacity, and fight through it.”

There’s more than half a season to go, so there’s plenty of time to turn things around. Still, with the way TFC is playing, you have to wonder if they will ever wake up from this bad dream and provide their fans with good reason to believe that a second consecutive MLS Cup is even a remote possibility.

It doesn’t get any easier from here for TFC, either. Their next four games are on the road, and they don’t return home until July 28. Before then, they also have to play the Ottawa Fury in the two-legged semifinals of the Canadian Club Championship.

“It’s tough. There’s a lot of talk going on and people want to bury us. But I don’t think we feel that way in this locker room,” defender Justin Morrow said.

Bono agreed: “It’s frustrating when results aren’t going your way, but we’re in a rough patch right now. For us, it’s about coming back tomorrow and digging ourselves out of it.”

This was the first of three matches during a seven-day span for Toronto. No surprise, then, that Vanney rotated his squad. Canadian forward Jordan Hamilton and veteran defender Jason Hernandez earned rare starts, while fullbacks Gregory van der Wiel and Auro Jr., and Spanish playmaker Victor Vazquez (swelling in his knee) were all nursing minor knocks and were given the day off. Hernandez left the game in the 34th minute due to a hamstring injury, and was replaced by Canadian Ashtone Morgan.

It was the worst possible start for the home side on Sunday. A TFC clearance off a corner kick landed at the feet of New York’s Kemar Lawrence, who unleashed a shot from 25 yards out. Somehow, Lawrence’s effort slipped through the fingers of Bono, who had it well covered, and into the back of the net. Toronto was down 1-0 after only four minutes, and it marked the eighth goal conceded in the first 15 minutes of MLS games this season.

“For me, it’s poor on my part. It’s a mistake I don’t usually make, so I put up my hand for that one today. I have to take it on the chin. We don’t make excuses; I don’t make excuses. That one’s on me,” Bono stated.

Vanney said: “We’re in that time right now when we can’t give away a soft goal like that.”

After an uninspired opening 45 minutes, TFC turned up the intensity right at the start of the second half, and had a glorious chance to equalize when Hamilton broke in on goal after getting in behind New York’s defence. But instead of playing a pass across the box to a streaking and unmarked Giovinco, he attempted an ill-advised shot Robles easily stopped.

Robles came up big minutes later, throwing out his right leg to make a fantastic kick save on Michael Bradley after the Toronto captain made a decisive run into the box. Then Robles denied Marky Delgado after Giovinco played him in on goal with a gorgeous, defence-splitting pass.

Toronto was awarded a penalty shot in the 78th minute when New York defender Tim Parker was called for a hand ball. The ref originally didn’t give it, but changed his mind after reviewing it following a consultation with the Video Assistant Referee. But again, Robles was having none of it, as he stopped Giovinco’s penalty attempt, and New York killed the game from there to walk out of BMO field with the win.

NOTES: New York leads the all-time series against Toronto, with 14 wins and seven draws in 29 meetings… Toronto returns to action on Wednesday when it visits Minnesota United FC.