



With their season beginning eight game road trip continuing on Saturday with a stop in Montreal, Toronto FC were looking to continue their positive play to start their 2016 MLS campaign and a measure of revenge against Impact side that embarrassed them in their first MLS Playoffs appearance last year.



The Impact came into this game in first place in the Eastern Conference and saw their lineup bolstered by the first appearance of Didier Drogba in the starting eleven. There's no place like the road! Open Player in a New Window | Subscribe | iTunes | MP3 The Opening 45



Neither said generated much in the way of scoring chances in the opening half, as the Impact struggled to break down an organized Toronto FC defense and the Reds continued to labour while endeavouring to generated offensive opportunities.



Montreal’s best chance of the half came off a Marco Donadel free kick that Drogba ultimately and uncharacteristically headed wide of the net.



Toronto came close six minutes later when Impact keeper Evan Bush made a fine save to deny Jonathan Osorio from in close.



The Reds ultimately opened the scoring five minutes before half time when some smart play by Jozy Altidore saw the burly striker taken down in the penalty box by Victor Cabrera. As expected, Giovinco stepped up to take the penalty kick and calmly deposited in the bottom right corner.



The Second Half



Montreal continued to struggle to break down an organized TFC defense for much of the second half, as Toronto looked like a team intent to defend and earn a 1-0 road win for the second week in a row.



Toronto put the game away in the 81st minute when some fine gritty play by Will Johnson set up a scoring chance for Giovinco, with the Atomic Ant delivering a clinical finish to double his team’s lead.



The Reds came close to adding a third in the 87th minute when some great work by Giovinco enabled the Italian to win the ball and set up Jozy Altidore for a scoring chance that he should have put away.



Montreal came close to making things interesting one minute later when Ambroise Oyongo broke in on the TFC net and shot just wide of the post. After a night away from the game @torontofc was the better team. More committed and had a plan that was perfect. Solid balanced team — Grant Needham (@GrantNeedham) April 24, 2016



TFC wanted to have 8 points from 8 games to start the season on the road. They have 11 with one to go! Good work @torontofc. — Waglio1517 (@juveennio) April 24, 2016

Man of the Match

Sebastian Giovinco In a game in which Toronto often struggled to generate service to their forwards, the Atomic Ant buried the two prime chances he was given and was the difference against a hated rival. While Evan Bush guessed the right way on the penalty shot, there was so much mustard and such perfect placement on the shot that the Italian International would not be denied.



Aside from Toronto’s Italian superstar, Drew Moor and Damian Perquis deserve special mention for a job well done in holding Piatti and Drogba completely in check.



Toronto FC Lineup



Irwin; Morrow, Perquis, Moor, Beitashour; Osorio, Bradley, Johnson, Delgado; Giovinco, Altidore



Subs: Babouli for Giovinco (89’), Williams for Delgado (90+2’)