Toronto FC sets club record with 5th straight win

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Tosaint Ricketts scored two late goals to help Toronto FC beat the Columbus Crew 2-1 on Wednesday night for its club-record fifth straight victory.

Toronto (6-1-4) won its second straight road match and avenged its only loss of the season. Columbus (5-5-1) had won six of its last eight home games dating to last season.

Ricketts, who entered as a sub in the 40th minute, tied it with a header in the 81st minute. Raheem Edwards chipped it from the edge of the 18-yard box and Ricketts headed it down to the lower-left corner. Nine minutes later, a deflected cross fell to Ricketts’ feet at the far post for an easy finish.

“Ricketts came on to get two goals, Raheem came on to play two incredible balls, and the group as a whole just kept working through the match both on the defensive side and with the ball to try to create some things,” said Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney. “Again, by no means perfect, but this has been an incredible stretch of games and travel for us and to gut out a win here against this team, we’ll cherish the three points.

Toronto struggled on the attacking side for much of the match without star striker Sebastian Giovinco, who did not play for a second-straight match due to a heel bruise.

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Columbus opened the scoring in the 28th minute when Federico Higuain scored on a penalty kick for his fourth goal of the season. Ola Kamara was dragged down in the penalty area by Eriq Zavaleta, and Higuain calmly chipped it up the middle.

“I kind of left a little bit early, incited him for a bit,” said Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono. “I thought that I had him read, but when he looks up at the last second and you’re already starting to go into your motion of where you’re assuming he’s going to go, for a player of his quality it’s just an easy finish and see you’re already moving.”

Toronto FC had a chance to tie it in the 38th, but Jozy Altidore’s penalty kick was saved by Zack Steffen.

The Associated Press