Toronto FC wins as Italian duo shines in MLS debut

• Toronto FC 4 (Osorio 4’; Bradley 10’, 45’+2’; Bernardeschi 31’), Charlotte FC 0
• Goal and an assist for Bernardeschi; an assist for Insigne
• Reds snap 5-game winless skid, record 1st clean sheet

TORONTO – And a pair of Italians shall lead them.

Inspired by Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne, a new-look Toronto FC played like world beaters on Saturday night, romping to a 4-0 victory over Charlotte FC before an announced crowd of 29,067 at BMO Field. The Reds scored four first-half goals for the first time in their history, and then comfortably held off the expansion side after the Italian duo exited following the halftime break.

Captain Michael Bradley bagged a brace, while Bernardeschi (a goal and assist) and Insigne (an assist) impressed in their MLS debuts. Jonathan Osorio also scored for Toronto (6-12-4), who snapped a five-match winless skid and registered its first clean sheet of the MLS campaign, and first in 30 consecutive league games.

“A really, really big night. You could feel it [beforehand], you got the sense over the last few days that it was going to shape up to be a special night, and it was in every way,” Michael Bradley offered.