Skip to content

Watch: Giovinco's last-gasp winner lets Toronto FC lift Voyageurs Cup

Canada Soccer / Twitter

Who else but him?

Sebastian Giovinco banged in a 95th-minute winner against the Montreal Impact on Tuesday evening to negate extra time and deliver Toronto FC's sixth Canadian Championship in club history.

With TFC's two-legged affair tied 2-2 and destined for another 30 minutes of football, the crafty 30-year-old stepped up to secure a 2-1 victory on the night and 3-2 on aggregate.

The Reds have made a habit of winning this tournament at the last possible moment. In last year's final against the Vancouver Whitecaps, Will Johnson blasted a crucial away goal in the 95th minute to give Toronto the trophy.

What led to this dramatic turn of events, however, was truly unique.

Referee David Gantar had issued a minimum of three minutes of stoppage time, but by the time Giovinco hit the back of the net, it was well beyond that.

A manic sequence of events, in which Impact captain Patrice Bernier was sent off, afforded TFC several more opportunities to end the match in regular time.

The straight red card to Bernier was highly contentious. The 37-year-old was adjudged to have slid studs-first into Toronto's Marco Delgado when he actually kept his foot down.

Tempers flared minutes earlier, when Giovinco appeared to be fouled in the penalty area. No spot-kick was awarded.

Even without the late histrionics, it was an entertaining match.

Montreal's sensational 18-year-old midfielder, Ballou Tabla, gave the Impact a 2-1 aggregate lead in the 36th minute.

Giovinco leveled matters after the interval, cutting in from the right to send a low shot inside goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau's near post.

But Giovinco outdid himself in the closing stages, beginning the play that led to his own winner and later rushing over to delirious supporters.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox