TFC blanks CS Saint-Laurent in Canadian Championship

• Toronto FC 3 (Longstaff 50’; Kerr 59’; Bernardeschi 76’), CS Saint-Laurent 0 
• TFC in firm control headed into 2nd leg at BMO Field  
• Reds have won five games in a row in all competitions 

After an uninspiring opening 45 minutes, Toronto FC found its rhythm in the second half and got the job done in the first leg of its Canadian Championship quarter-final. 

Starters Matty Longstaff and Deandre Kerr and substitute Federico Bernardeschi scored after the halftime break to guide TFC to a 3-0 win over semi-professional club CS Saint-Laurent on a soggy Wednesday night at Montreal's Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard.  

With three away goals in their pocket, the Reds hold a strong advantage in the two-legged aggregate series which concludes on May 21 at BMO Field. Winners of five straight games in all competitions, Toronto only needs a draw in the return leg to advance to the semifinals. Even a 2-0 home loss would be enough for TFC to move on to the final four.

After dominating League1 Ontario champions Simcoe County Rovers in a 5-0 win in the first round earlier this month, TFC were looking to put the hammer down against their modest French opponents. But Saint-Laurent made life a bit difficult for the MLS side who managed to score two quick goals shortly after halftime and never looked back.