Toronto FC locks up Supporters' Shield for 1st time in club history
Toronto FC has been anointed by many as the best team in Major League Soccer in 2017. Now the Reds have the (regular season) hardware to prove it.
TFC clinched its first Supporters' Shield in club history on Saturday night, with a hat trick from left-back Justin Morrow powering Greg Vanney's side to a wild 4-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls at BMO Field.
What’s 35 pounds when you’ve got the whole city behind you? The Supporters’ Shield is coming home
— Toronto FC (@torontofc) October 1, 2017
Toronto, let’s raise it! pic.twitter.com/yeY0wwmOd3
After losses in its last two contests, the Canadian club finally locked up the Shield by hitting the 65-point mark, officially eliminating both New York City FC and Atlanta United from contention.
The historic achievement also means Toronto FC is assured of home-field advantage throughout the MLS playoffs.
Morrow, who hit a new personal best by bringing his goal tally to eight on the campaign, scored twice in quick succession in the opening half, and TFC looked to be in control. But the Red Bulls got one back only minutes after his second marker, and then equalized from the spot in the 77th minute.
But an 80th-minute penalty from Victor Vazquez gave TFC the lead for good, and Morrow capped his treble with a sliding strike in the 91st minute to secure all three points.
Having clinched the top record in the league this season, Vanney and Co. will now shift their attention to another monumental accomplishment: with two regular-season matches remaining on the calendar, TFC is still in with a shot of setting the MLS record for most points in a single season.
The LA Galaxy side of 1998 set the standard by racking up 68 points.
TFC can surpass that mark with four points from its final two matches, which come against bitter rival Montreal and high-flying Atlanta, respectively.