TFC 2 bows out of MLS NEXT Pro playoffs after wild loss

• Toronto FC II 3 (Rothrock 47’; Antonoglou 90'+3'; 94’), Columbus Crew II 4 (Fuson 32’; Parente 60’; Knight 109’; Gannon 119’)
• Crew 2 advance to next Saturday’s MLS NEXT Pro Cup
• Ex-TFC forward Ryan Telfer collects assist for Columbus

Toronto FC II’s promising run in the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs came to a heartbreaking end on Sunday night.

TFC 2 put forth a valiant effort before ultimately suffering a bitter 4-3 loss in extra time to Columbus Crew II in the Eastern Conference final at Historic Crew Stadium.

TFC 2 came back from behind to tie the game on two occasions, and forced another 30 minutes after scoring deep into injury time before taking the lead early in extra time, with both goals coming from Themi Antonoglou. But the junior Reds couldn’t hold on, conceding twice in the final 11 minutes as the hosts secured a memorable win.

Columbus advances to next Saturday's MLS NEXT Pro Cup when it will host Western Conference champions St. Louis City SC 2.

MLS NEXT Pro is the new reserve league launched this year by Major League Soccer. TFC 2 used to compete in the USL and USL League One, but it had never previously qualified for the playoffs since its first season in 2015. TFC 2 posted a 1-0 win over Philadelphia Union II in the Eastern Conference semifinals last week at BMO Field, while Columbus registered a 4-1 home win over Rochester New York FC.