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3 impossible moments in Toronto FC's destiny-fuelled triumph over Montreal

Twitter/@avramjulian

Much has been made of Toronto FC's epic 5-2 victory over the Montreal Impact, whether it be success from set pieces, smart substitutions, or the team's never-say-die attitude. While those factors are all valid, I'd like to propose another.

Toronto FC played destiny like a fiddle on a cold, rainy night at BMO Field.

Here are three impossible moments that show exactly how:

The math behind Altidore's incalculable effort

You'd be forgiven for believing that the ball hit the side netting when first watching Jozy Altidore score this glancing header goal off a Sebastian Giovinco corner kick; the U.S. striker wasn't directly in front of the net, and goalkeeper Evan Bush had his near post seemingly covered well enough.

Yet, inexplicably, the Atomic Ant managed to drive his cross with just the right amount of power and direction toward Altidore, who hit the exact sweet spot needed to swing the ball down and to the right, finding a sliver of space by Bush's right foot just large enough to squeeze the ball in without contact.

Calculating each step of this goal and finding a probability for replicating it is futile; this was a special goal born of instinct, and, as such, maybe a bit of fate. It also put Toronto FC right back on track in the aggregate swing.

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The timing of Hagglund's majestic leap

Timing, as they say, is everything, a lesson Nick Hagglund demonstrated in dramatic fashion to level the combined score at 5-5 with this thumping header.

It's not just Hagglund's set up, as he slowly drifts behind Laurent Ciman in the buildup, nor the count in his head as he leaped high to meet the ball in the air from the penalty spot, though the timing of both certainly helped.

No, this goal was impossible because of the timing of Hagglund's goal relative to the 36,000 unified supporters roused to applaud from the now-traditional Viking clap. The tempo is a familiar "Boom-Boom-Clap!" that starts slow and builds up in speed while keeping its rhythm, and Hagglund's goal came right at the crescendo moment, player and supporters in perfect harmony.

The heart-healing nature of Cheyrou's header

What do you do if you're Greg Vanney and your top scorer Giovinco picks up a bit of a cramp he just can't shake?

It's an almost impossible question to answer. The Reds still needed a goal after all, and losing Giovinco was the worst case scenario for Toronto's MLS Cup hopes. But, as any manager must, a decision had to be made, and in the Atomic Ant's stead came defensive midfielder Benoit Cheyrou.

The obvious understanding now is that Tosaint Ricketts and Altidore will need to craft the moment of destiny, score the game-winning goal or at the very least help make it a reality. Instead, what transpired was a left-footed cross by the right-footed Steven Beitashour that found a streaking Cheyrou at the edge of the box for another perfectly placed narrow-margin header.

What!?

It proved the game-winning effort, with the Iranian defender and the French midfielder doing their best impression of the Giovinco and Altidore one-two punch, this time from the other side. As Ricketts scored the fifth and final goal of the night, the impossible became reality and Toronto FC's destined date with the Seattle Sounders is now set in stone.

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