Toronto FC earns much-needed home win vs. Austin FC

• Toronto FC 2 (Osorio 7’; Kerr 30’), Austin FC 1 (Wolff 76’)  
• Reds keep hold of 8th place in Eastern Conference, move to win 2 points of 7th spot 
• Osorio joins Giovinco as only TFC player with 100 goal contributions in regular season  

TORONTO – John Herdman challenged his players and they responded with one of their best collective efforts of the MLS season.  

Coming off a loss in which Herdman described as complacent and lacking in urgency, Toronto FC bounced back in a major way with a hard fought 2-1 victory over Austin FC on Saturday night at BMO Field.  

Captain Jonathan Osorio and fellow Canadian Deandre Kerr scored for Toronto (11-15-3), who kept hold of eighth place in the Eastern Conference and edged to within two points of seventh-place Charlotte FC. They also moved three points clear of ninth-place D.C. United.  

“I think all the lads tonight just dug in. They really dug in and showed that fight that it's going to take to make it through to the playoffs. You're gonna have to fight, and it won't be perfect, as they keep telling us. You're gonna have to just grind the results out all the way through," Herdman told reporters in the post-game press conference.

Midfielder Alonso Coello offered: "It was huge. This was a game we had to win, 100 per cent. ... This was a must-win game at home against a very good team. We came up very strong, very aggressive."

With a goal and an assist in the first half, Osorio (48 goals, 52 assists) joined Sebastian Giovinco as the only players in club history to record 100 regular season goal contributions.  

Herdman was full of praise for the Canadian international.

"He's so passionate about the journey of the club. I think he's really grown into the captain’s [role], and he challenges [things] the way he pushes people's levels, he pushes the coaches' levels, he pushes the players’ levels," Herdman said.

"And I've seen him grow. He's growing into more of that Roy Keane-type leader where he's willing to speak his mind to get the standards that are required. And at the same time, you have to walk the talk, and he does. He puts a shift in for his team."

Idle since a disappointing 3-1 home loss to D.C. on Aug. 31, Toronto rebounded with a performance that was befitting of a team that is fighting for one of the last playoff berths in the East. After the D.C. loss, Herdman called out his team, and hinted he might make lineup changes after the international break. The players clearly took his stern words to heart.  

While Osorio and Kerr provided the goals, goalkeeper Sean Johnson stood tall in making seven saves on the night. Italian DPs Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi were genuine workhorses on both sides of the ball, helping the Reds flawlessly transition from defence to attack. The returning Coello and Matty Longstaff combined to effectively hold things down in central midfield.  

If the Reds can duplicate this overall team effort in their final five games, they might just end a post-season drought dating back to 2020. 

Herdman gave a start to Coello, his first taste of action for Toronto since suffering a hamstring tear on June 22. Osorio and Bernardeschi returned as starters after being suspended for the Reds’ previous match. Defender Kevin Long was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Austin’s starting 11 included former TFC centre back Matt Hedges. 

Toronto came out strong right from the opening half and opened the scoring with an early goal. Kerr made a run down the right before cutting into the middle where Austin captain Alex Ring made a sliding tackle from behind. Unfortunately for him, he deflected the ball into the path of Osorio who hammered a venomous shot that beat goalkeeper Brad Stuver at the near post.  

Kerr doubled the Reds' advantage off a blistering counter attack. Insigne released Osorio down the middle and he played a perfect slide rule pass down the left for Richie Laryea. His ball across the box found Kerr who side-footed it home from six yards out.   

Toronto continued to press for more goals with Longstaff firing just over the crossbar from 20 yards out after being teed by Bernardeschi and Kerr pushing his shot just wide off the far post after making a penetrating run down the left wing.  

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Austin had chances in the first half that came off Toronto miscues in midfield. But Johnson came up big to deny speedy Colombian winger Jáder Obrian and Osman Bukari from close range after the both snuck in behind the Reds’ back line.  

The visitors enjoyed sustained spells of possession early in the second half without seriously threatening to score as they were unable to unlock Toronto’s bend-but-don’t-break defence. But their persistence paid off when Raoul Petretta misjudged a ball played over the top to the edge of TFC’s box, allowing substitute Owen Wolff to collect it, sidestep the defender and then slot his shot past a helpless Johnson.  

Johnson’s smothering stop on Obrian from a very tight angle late in regulation time, not to mention some genuine luck by the Reds against a surging Austin side, helped preserve the win for TFC. 

NOTES: These teams have only met once before when Toronto was shut out in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in Austin on May 20, 2023... This weekend's match is the only meeting of the regular season between the clubs... TFC returns to action when they host the Columbus Crew next Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV & TSN).

(Top photo courtesy of Toronto FC)

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