Endoh, Giovinco score in first half, Toronto FC beats Columbus Crew

TORONTO — Sebastian Giovinco is feeling like his old self.

Tsubasa Endoh and Giovinco scored in the opening 25 minutes while Jozy Altidore added one late as Toronto FC beat the Columbus Crew 3-0 on Sunday night in Major League Soccer action.

Giovinco seems to be back in good form with four goals in his last two matches after snapping and eight-game scoring drought with three goals a week ago against D.C. United.

He had a goal and two assists against Columbus, but could have had a few more. He had an opportunity stopped in the 56th minute and then had two shots come back off the post seconds apart just three minutes later.

“Soccer has to be fun and I’m enjoying myself,” said Giovinco.

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“This is becoming apparent and at this point, I feel we’ve returned to the levels where we were last season where we need to be.”

Toronto has lost just one of its nine league games at home and have plenty of games remaining this season at BMO Field.

Endoh, rather fortuitously, got Toronto (9-7-6) on the board in the eighth minute when a shot from Giovinco deflected off his back which provided a spin that threw off Columbus (3-9-10) goalkeeper Steve Clark.

It was smiles abound for the group as they celebrated the goal. Endoh went over to join the celebrations arguing that the goal was his, Giovinco went over and pretended to slap the rookie as if to mock his audacious claim to the goal before pulling him into a hug.

Giovinco was initially awarded with the goal but it was later credited to Endoh.

An unmistakable Giovinco goal happened in the 24th minute when he passed to Canadian midfielder Jay Chapman, who had created a little bit of room by nicely shrugging off his defender. Giovinco continued his run, got the ball back from Chapman and the diminutive Italian hit the ball with the outside of his right-foot which curled past Clark’s outstretched right hand.

Altidore, who came off the bench in the second half, had his 87th minute shot deflected by Columbus defender Michael Parkhurst for his first goal of the season.

It was by no means pretty for the American international, but after an extended period of time out of action with a hamstring injury he’ll take it.

“To sit more than two months when I’m watching every game from the stands, training alone, it’s so hard mentally to stay in it,” said Altidore. “To finally get back out there, to be under the lights again and just to play soccer is fantastic.”

The victory gives Toronto the Trillium Cup, an in-season competition between the two teams that acknowledges their geographical proximity, after TFC and Columbus had drawn their previous two meetings this season.

Named after the plant that’s both the official flower of Ontario and the state wildflower of Ohio, the Trillium Cup heads north of the border for just the third time in the nine years it has been contested.

Gavin Day, The Canadian Press