MONTREAL – In the most Canadian of contests, it was a pair of Americans who helped turn the tide for Toronto FC. On Tuesday night, both Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley helped make somewhat good for the Reds. They faced the Montreal Impact -- and their home crowd of 61,000-plus -- in a tough test in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Championship, and and helped ultimately make the score 3-2, Montreal.
The match, at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, was billed as an epic clash between Toronto and Montreal, old foes who have met on many a battlefield, in every conceivable contest, over the years. And for much of the game, it appeared as though the home side would take the advantage, setting themselves up for a simple stroll to the MLS Cup.
The Impact took a two-goal lead after just 12 minutes, then added a third shortly after the restart -- but, alas, for Montreal, it was not to stay that easy. TFC bounced back from the edge of oblivion, thanks to Bradley and Altidore, both just a week removed from a pair of dispiriting USMNT losses. And with tonight's result at 3-2, with a pair of precious away goals for Toronto, even a 1-0 win at home will see TFC move on to more hallowed ground.
“Maybe at 3-0 [we thought it was slipping away],” admitted a smiling Drew Moor post-match.
The impetus to bounce back came from a half-time locker room message provided by the captain, Bradley. “[I] tried to get everybody to understand that there is still a long time to play, not just tonight, but also next week," he said post-match, "to remind that we need an away goal. Once we got the first, we needed another one and just to keep at it.”
There was a scare when Montreal added their third, but Altidore grabbed the precious first for Toronto in the 68th minute, placing a firm header past Evan Bush. He played a role in Bradley's 73rd-minute strike, setting up his teammate with some strong physical work to draw TFC back within a goal. The aggregate series is set to resume in Toronto next Wednesday (7 pm ET, FS1 in US, TSN in Canada).
Altidore now has four playoff goals in as many matches, as well as three assists. Meanwhile the strike was Bradley's first of the post-season – and it could not have come at a better time.
“A team that doesn't have the characters and the drive that we have, maybe folds there and throws the towel in,” said Moor. “But our response was unbelievable. Not a good start to the game, but we've set ourselves up well for the return leg. The hardest work is in front of us still.”
Even at the darkest hour, there comes a light.
“It's easy to think everything is lost, [that] on a night that it is not going your way that there's no way back into it," Bradley said. "But things change quickly.”
