15,000 watch teenager Ralph Priso score to give Toronto FC tie with Red Bulls
Crowd at BMO Field increased more than double previous game as restrictions decrease
Teenage substitute Ralph Priso scored his first MLS goal to lift Toronto FC into a 1-1 tie with the New York Red Bulls in MLS play Wednesday.
After Polish striker Patryk Klimala put the visitors ahead in the 46th minute, Priso pulled Toronto even in the 62nd minute. Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel was only able to tip a high Yeferson Soteldo cross away and the ball went straight to Priso whose left-footed shot bounced off the ground and into the goal on Toronto's first shot on target.
The goal, in Priso's 11th career MLS game, brought Toronto and the fans at BMO Field to life with Soteldo starting to attack down the left wing.
Attendance was capped at 15,000, up from 7,000 on Saturday — the first time there were fans in the stands since March 2020. Wednesday marked the largest crowd at a Canadian sporting event since the pandemic began.
How's that for your first <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLS</a> goal?? The <a href="https://twitter.com/tfcacademy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tfcacademy</a> product bags the equalizer! <a href="https://t.co/fy8lgTw0ye">pic.twitter.com/fy8lgTw0ye</a>
—@TorontoFCThere was some bad blood midway through the second half when Toronto substitute Jozy Altidore tangled with defender Thomas Edwards. Alejandro Pozuelo got involved in the subsequent melee with both Edwards and Pozuelo subsequently cautioned.
Ismael Tajouri-Shradi scores as NYC beat Montreal
Ismael Tajouri-Shradi scored off a long pass from goalkeeper Luis Barraza and New York City FC beat Montreal 1-0 on Wednesday night to end a two-game losing streak.
Tajouri-Shradi raced in from the right side to control Barraza's kick down the center of the field, beating defender Zorhan Bassong to the ball and chipping it over goalkeeper James Pantemis from the center of the box in the 29th minute.
Barraza made one save to help NYC improve to 6-5-2.
Montreal dropped to 6-4-4.
"We were undefeated in our last six games. We never want to lose, but all credit to New York. It's a good team," said Montreal's Joel waterman.
"I'm proud of the way we fought. I thought our possession was good. In some way we were a little bit naive on the ball. It's a shame that we gave away that goal and that it was the decider."
