CF Montreal win in dramatic fashion, Toronto also get first win in MLS in 2023 and Vancouver earns a point.
It took four weeks of MLS action to finally see a pair of Canadian clubs put one in the win column. After all was said and done, it was a great weekend for the Canadian MLS clubs as each of the three clubs earned a result on Saturday.
CF Montreal 3-2 Philadelphia Union
After three straight-away fixtures to start the 2023 campaign, CF Montreal finally played their first home match. Just over 23,000 fans attended CF Montreal’s home opener in their second home ( Olympic Stadium).
Montreal came out attacking fast and furious in the opening minutes of the match. Their blistering start paid off in the third minute as Montreal was awarded a penalty. Romell Quioto converted from the spot to get CF Montreal’s first goal of the season.
In the second half, the script was flipped as Philadelphia Union showed why they were Eastern Conference champions last season. Mikael Uhre bagged his first two goals of the campaign in the 46th and 60th minute to give the visitors the lead.
It looked like the Union was en route to collect all three points until stoppage time hit. Chinonso Offor in the 90th minute tied the game and it looked as if both sides would collect a point each.
In who would end up being Man of the Match, at the death, Quito sent the home crowd into a frenzy. In the 98th minute the Honduras international headed in his second goal of the night to complete the comeback fashionably late.
JUSQU'À LA TOUTE FIN
— CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) March 19, 2023
Amazing homecoming.#CFMTL pic.twitter.com/4bhgVZK3DG
Toronto FC 2-0 Inter Miami
It was another chilly night at BMO Field as Toronto FC earned their first victory of the campaign.
It was a fitting evening that it was a pair of Canadian-born players for TFC that contributed to the score sheet on a cold March in Toronto. It wasn’t until the second frame The Reds got the ball rolling when Jonathan Osorio, in the 48th minute, found the back of the net with a right-footed shot from close range.
Mark-Anthony Kaye sealed the match with a header from inside the six-yard box to the bottom right corner. Federico Bernardeschi deserves praise for a beautiful cross following a set-piece situation.
First win of the season ✅
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) March 19, 2023
First clean sheet of the season ✅
all in front of our home crowd 👏#TFCLive pic.twitter.com/KrHpk1ZcyU
LA Galaxy 1-1 Vancouver Whitecaps
It was another MLS contest and another fixture where the Vancouver Whitecaps failed to earn three points.
The Caps got off to a picture-perfect start on the road. Center-back Tristan Blackmon found the back of the net in the 14th minute. His header from the center of the box was assisted by Julian Gressel with a cross following a set-piece which seems to be Vancouver’s strength so far in 2023.
The LA Galaxy tied the game four minutes into the first-half stoppage time.
Kelvin Leerdam’s left footed shot found the back of the net from inside close range. The 32-year-old registered his first goal as a member of the Galaxy.
The road woes continue from last year as the Whitecaps are now winless in their last 10 away matches. If there is a positive, the Caps did snap a four-game road losing streak on Saturday night.
Up next
CF Montreal will have next weekend off while the other two remaining Canadian MLS clubs find themselves on the road. Vancouver Whitecaps will travel to the Land of 10000 lakes as they take on Minnesota United. Toronto FC has a date on the west coast and will take on the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park.