Toronto FC falls short in bid for Supporters' Shield in regular-season finale

Toronto FC heads into the MLS post-season with more than a little uncertainty, continuing the theme of its topsy-turvy, nomadic 2020 campaign.

Toronto will be doing it without the Supporters' Shield, denied the trophy by its 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls and rival Philadelphia's 2-0 win over New England on Decision Day Sunday. The Shield goes to the MLS team with the best regular-season record.

Under this year's playoff format, second-seeded Toronto won't know its first-round opponent until the Nov. 20 Eastern Conference play-in games.

No. 7 Nashville faces No. 10 Inter Miami and No. 8 New England takes on No. 9 Montreal. Philadelphia will meet the lower advancing seed while Toronto faces the higher advancing seed.

And TFC isn't sure where it will be spending its time ahead of the playoffs.

WATCH | Red Bulls defeat Toronto FC:

TFC finish regular-season 2nd in East after loss to Red Bulls

4 years ago

Duration 1:10

New York Red Bulls defeat Toronto 2-1 in their regular-season finale.

The Toronto travelling party headed home after Sunday's match in Harrison, N.J., hoping a deal can be struck with local authorities to allow the team some modified training north of the border.

If not, players and staff will spend a couple of days in quarantine with loved ones before returning to Hartford to practise although coach Greg Vanney said the team was looking at several options.

While others get to prepare at their training ground, TFC has been training at three different pitches in the Hartford area — one of which Vanney described as "basically like a beach."

Toronto (13-5-5) needed to pick up more points than Philadelphia (14-4-5) on the day to claim the Shield given the two were tied on points and wins. The Union also held the edge in the relevant tiebreaker of goal differential per match.

"We've set out every year to try to be a team that can compete for the Supporters' Shield," said captain Michael Bradley. "But the reality is also that once the regular season ends, you have to quickly understand that everything starts over.

"And while the Supporters' Shield means a lot and is certainly something that is important to us as a club, everybody also understands that the reality is still [that] the biggest prize is the MLS Cup. It's the one that everyone remembers."

Sunday's result means Toronto goes into the playoffs having lost three of its last four games (1-3-0). The plus side is the club is getting healthier.

Altidore returns to action

Star striker Jozy Altidore, who had missed the last seven games, came on in the 57th minute. Midfielder Jonathan Osorio, who sat out the last three matches, saw 45 minutes of action.

But fullback Richie Laryea lasted just 41 minutes before limping off with a minor groin injury.

The Supporters' Shield carries with it home-field advantage throughout the playoffs as well as a US$150,000 prize. For Philadelphia, in claiming its first-ever trophy after finishing runner-up in the U.S. Open Cup in 2014, '15 and '18, it also means a berth in the 2021 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.

A 5-0 defeat in Philadelphia on Oct. 24 and a 1-0 loss to New York City FC four days later in Hartford cost an injury-ravaged Toronto in the standings. The Union let Toronto back in the hunt by losing 2-1 in Columbus last weekend.

Still, Toronto delivered a fine showing to finish runner-up in the 26-team league over a pandemic-rejigged campaign that forced it to play all but four of its 23 regular-season games away from BMO Field, with six in East Hartford.

"As I said to them before the game, I'm extremely proud of the way they have handled the season," Vanney said of his players. "It's been a challenging year in many, many ways for everybody around the world."

"Our guys, every single day, came out to training and didn't complain, didn't moan. They just got to work," he added. "They found ways to support each other and to get on with it."

The Red Bulls, who came into the game in seventh place in the East, attained their goal of moving up into sixth and thus avoiding the play-in round. Interim head coach Bradley Carnell praised his team's efforts in the first half, calling it one of its best efforts of the season.

"Really good soccer, high-level soccer against the best team in the league," said the former South African international.

Trailing 2-0 after 45 minutes, a different Toronto side came out to start the second half and pulled a goal back five minutes into the half. But the Red Bulls absorbed the pressure and kept their heads.

Tom Barlow and Brian White scored for the Red Bulls. Tsubasa Endoh replied for Toronto.

Barlow scored off a corner with White flicking the ball on to the far post. Barlow rose above Chris Mavinga and headed the ball in for his third of the season in the 24th minute. Toronto had six defenders inside the six-yard box at the time.

The Toronto defence was ripped apart again two minutes later when fullback Kyle Duncan was left uncovered as he headed towards the penalty box. He sent the ball across the goal for an unmarked White to tap it in. It was the fifth goal of the season for White and the fourth in his last five matches.

Endoh pulled one back for Toronto in the 50th, knocking in the rebound after Ryan Meara made a fine save off Nick DeLeon, who sidestepped a defender to make room for the shot.

Outshot 8-1 in the first half, Toronto had a 13-0 advantage in the second half.

For Vanney, it was a reminder to his players that at this time of the season "the game can't always look as pretty as we want it to look."

Impact clinch playoff berth

Romell Quioto played with a heavy heart Sunday, yet still did enough to put the Montreal Impact into the playoffs.

The Honduran forward had a hand in all three Impact goals Sunday, including a game-winning goal in the 88th minute, in a 3-2 victory over D.C. United at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.

The win clinched a playoff berth for the Impact (8-13-2) and the team will enter the postseason as the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference. D.C. United (5-12-6) also needed a victory to make the playoffs, but the loss eliminated them from playoff contention.

"Today, we showed character," Impact manager Thierry Henry said.

Quioto's home country has been battered by Hurricane Eta. Local officials say the storm has led to 21 deaths in Honduras.

WATCH | Impact lock up playoff spot with win against D.C. United:

Impact secure playoff spot with comeback win over United

4 years ago

Duration 1:23

Romell Quioto's goal in the 88th minute sends Montreal Impact to the playoffs as they defeat D.C. United 3-2.

After scoring the go-ahead goal, Quioto raced to the sidelined and celebrated with his teammates while holding a flag of Honduras. The 29-year-old also showed off the flag during his media availability after the match.

"I'm very sad with what's currently happening in my country," Quioto said. "I really trust that (through) God that all the people who are suffering can be better. I want to send my people all my love and support as well as my trust in God."

"I'm really happy for him because he put this difficult thing on the side," teammate Bojan said.

Montreal snapped a three-game losing streak with its first victory since a 2-1 win against Inter Miami on Oct. 17.

Following an opening goal from D.C. United's Donovan Pines, Quioto assisted on Bojan's opening goal of the game as he fought off numerous D.C. United defenders before passing the ball through the penalty area. Bojan was first to the ball and he equalized at the 13th minute.

Ola Kamara gave the home team a 2-1 lead 20 minutes later, but Montreal would eventually even the score in the 74th minute after a Victor Wanyama goal assisted by Quioto.

Quioto's game-winner would eventually come moments from stoppage time after receiving a pass from Mason Toye, giving the Impact the lead for good.

Montreal will play New England in the Eastern Conference play-in round Nov. 20.

Whitecaps finish season strong with win over Galaxy

Frustration lingered for coach Marc Dos Santos Sunday as his Vancouver Whitecaps finished their season with a decisive win over the L.A. Galaxy.

His team had captured a 3-0 victory but missed the post-season yet again.

"We deserved the win," Dos Santos said on a video call Sunday night. "It's a good way to finish the season. But at the same time, I'm disappointed - we were three points away, also, of being in the playoffs."

It's been a tough year for the 'Caps (9-14-0).

The team played just four games at their home stadium in Vancouver (including three without fans) before border restrictions forced them to relocate to Portland.

WATCH | Cavallini, Whitecaps close out season with win:

Cavallini, Whitecaps finish season with victory over Galaxay

4 years ago

Duration 1:29

Lucas Cavallini of Mississauga, Ont., opens up the scoring as Vancouver goes on to defeat Los Angeles 3-0.

Finishing on a positive note was key for the club's future, said defender Jake Nerwinski.

"Everything that we've been through, it's been a hell of a year," he said. "We could have easily come out today with no passion, no pride and gotten blown out. But we didn't. This was our best win of the year and I think it's something that really showed what this group had inside of us."

Vancouver came into the game with energy and opened the scoring in the 24th minute.

Russell Teibert stormed through the midfield and got a pass off to Cristian Gutierrez, who delivered the ball to Lucas Cavallini just outside the six-yard box. The Canadian striker put away a header for his sixth goal of the season.

Fredy Montero added a pair of goals for the 'Caps, his fourth and fifth of the season.

"Obviously, I was always looking to help the team. But today was a payoff for me, to finish with two goals, and finish with three points, that's all that I can ask for," said the 33-year-old Colombian forward.

"Whatever happens in the future, it's going to be good for me, for the team and the other guys that fight so hard to be here."

The match was Montero's 200th regular-season Major League Soccer game, but the veteran said he isn't sure whether it was his last in a Whitecaps' jersey.

His contract ends on Dec. 31, and Montero said both he and the club need to take this month to think about what comes next.

"We will see. We will see. I'm just happy to finish with two goals," he said. "I finally got on the level I wanted to be. It's a positive note on my personal side."

Sunday saw the Galaxy go down a man in the 39th minute. L.A.'s Julian Araujo's was shown the red card for a "serious foul" after his studs met the knee of Vancouver's Cristian Gutierrez.

Evan Bush had six saves for the Whitecaps and collected his first clean sheet for Vancouver.

Galaxy (6-12-4) 'keeper David Bingham stopped three of the six on-target shots he faced.

Dos Santos was proud of the mindset his players showed, saying they treated the match like a playoff game despite both sides being out of contention.

The coach said he and his team take some solace in knowing that they finished the year with more points than two teams who made the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

The 'Caps end the season with 27 points, while the Montreal Impact have 26 and Inter Miami CF have 24.

Vancouver also finished with more wins (nine) than the Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes (eight each), who both made the playoffs in the West.

"That's going to be our prize for this year," Dos Santos said. "I just feel that if we would have had everyone in the right moments, I feel that we would have been in the playoffs."

The Whitecaps weathered a particularly rough stretch when league play resumed in August, dropping three games in a row.

Towards the end of the year, the squad found the cohesion and rhythm that they showed on Sunday.

The result proves the group has more to give, Nerwinski said.

"We thought we had more in us and if we had just gotten that going earlier, we would have been in a playoff spot," he said.

"But now that it's over, we ended on a high note, it's going to be really nice to go home, to relax, to spend some time with my wife who I haven't really seen in two, three months."