The reigning Major League Soccer champion was eliminated from playoff contention Saturday night when Toronto FC (9-16-6, 33 points) lost 2-1 to the Vancouver Whitecaps (12-12-7, 43 points) at BMO Field.
Russell Teibert opened scoring with a fourth-minute goal to put the Whitecaps up 1-0 after finding a gap in the defensive and shooting through it to receive a pass on the run from Yordy Reyna.
Toronto’s job became more difficult when Gregory van der Wiel received a second yellow card in the 66th minute for unsporting behavior and was ejected from the match. The Reds maintained the one-goal deficit despite playing with 10 men, and then equalized in the 73rd minute. Jozy Altidore converted a penalty kick to tie the match. The penalty was called for a Vancouver handball in the box.
But, the game-winner came from the other side five minutes later, when Reyna passed forward to Jordon Mutch, who crossed the ball in front of goal and found a charging Kei Kamara to tap it past TFC keeper Alex Bono.
Toronto is now ninth in the Eastern Conference and officially eliminated from playoff contention, along with Orlando City and the Chicago Fire.
In the West, Vancouver remains below the playoff cutline in eighth, but is not mathematically eliminated like Minnesota United, the Colorado Rapids and the San Jose earthquakes. The Whitecaps are one point behind No. 7 LA Galaxy and three points behind No. 6 Real Salt Lake with three game left in the regular season.
Both sides are off next week and return to action Oct. 17, when TFC will travel to play D.C. United at 7:30 p.m. ET and Vancouver will host Sporting Kansas City at 10 p.m. ET.
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