Toronto FC Breaks into MLS Cup Final on Emotional Night in Front of Home Fans

TORONTO — As the final whistle sounded after 120 minutes of back-and-forth, unpredictable action in the second leg of the MLS Eastern Conference Final, 10 years of emotion was let out in booming roars from BMO Field. 

Toronto FC defeated the Montreal Impact 5-2 in the second leg—7-5 on aggregate—to advance to the club’s first MLS Cup final. 

“I can’t even explain it,” midfielder Jonathan Osorio said. “The supporters have been waiting a long time for this. They deserve it. They’ve stuck around through everything this team’s battled through.” 

The years-long frustration of botched big-name signings, countless managerial changes and failures to reach the postseason were let out at times throughout the night when the Reds needed it most, with the biggest cheer coming at the final whistle as Toronto clinched home-field advantage in the MLS Cup. 

“All week we spoke about what tonight could be,” captain Michael Bradley said. “Nobody knew for sure, but I think we all had an idea it could be a special night in terms of atmosphere and emotion, in some ways, 10 years of emotion coming out in one night.” 

“Once I took a step back in celebration, I took a moment to think about how many people were in both stadiums (over the two legs),” Toronto head coach Greg Vanney said. “And the excitement of the two games, the quantity of goals, the amount of attacking, and back and forth, and twists and turns. I can’t imagine the experience of emotions that people went through. For me, [it’s] the most exciting playoff event I’ve been apart of.”

The rollercoaster ride of emotions for both sides began in the 24th minute, as Montreal opened the scoring out of nowhere through Dominic Oduro. 

After enjoying the better of the possession and chances for most of the first half, Toronto finally capitalized with a pair of goals in eight minutes by way of Armando Cooper and Jozy Altidore. 

A second-leg victory and hosting the MLS Cup final seemed to be in the bag for the Reds at the halftime break, but the resilient Impact disrupted those plans in the 53rd minute, as Ignacio Piatti equalized the contest and put the teams level on away goals in the series. 

Nick Hagglund’s powering header off a corner kick from what seemed to be 20 feet in the air gave Toronto a 3-2 lead in the match.

“We were real close,” Montreal head coach Mauro Biello said. “They found a way through set pieces to …

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