TFC scores late to secure draw with Orlando City SC, keeping slim playoff hopes alive

Matheus Pereira’s match-tying goal in the 90th minute and Canadian Theo Corbeanu’s goal and an assist kept Toronto FC’s slim playoff hopes alive with a 3-3 draw against Orlando City SC on Wednesday.

Orlando forwards Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann scored late to put the visitors ahead. But Pereira knocked in a rebound to steal a point for Toronto (7-10-12) and remain within striking distance of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto extended its unbeaten streak at BMO Field to seven games (3-0-4).

Dike scored the go-ahead goal in the box after Griezmann left alone a pass from Ivan Angulo in the 83rd minute, six minutes after Griezmann tied the match. Griezmann has scored 10 times in 13 outings.

After Toronto midfielder Niklas Dorsch brilliantly chipped a ball past Orlando defender Iago Teodoro, goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau stopped Dorsch. But the ball bounded to Corbeanu for his third of the campaign in the 49th minute.

Toronto scored first. With his second goal in two games, forward Lewis Morgan headed in a long cross into the box from Corbeanu in the 27th minute.

Orlando (11-13-5) drew even when a ball bounced off Toronto defender Pereira’s left arm in the home team’s box. The handball violation resulted in a successful penalty kick from Martin Ojeda in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.

The match featured an all-Canadian goalkeeper affair between Toronto’s Luka Gavran and Crépeau.

Crépeau, a veteran Canadian national team member from Greenfield Park, Que., set a club record with 12 saves in Orlando’s 3-2 win against the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

Gavran, from Hamilton, left early on Saturday with a leg injury, but recovered in time to face his fellow countryman.

Crépeau recorded a clean sheet in his last outing against Toronto, a 3-0 win in Orlando on Sept. 12.

Toronto forward Josh Sargent narrowly missed two early opportunities. After dribbling around two defenders just inside the box, his left-footed shot missed the post to his left in the 12th minute.

Four minutes later, Sargent blasted a shot over the bar from the centre of the box.

Up next

Orlando: Host D.C. United on Saturday.

Toronto: Visit Red Bull New York on Saturday.