Toronto FC 4-2 New York Red Bulls: Reds claim the Supporters’ Shield

You didn’t expect them to make it easy, right?

Toronto FC put their fans through yet another emotional rollercoaster on Saturday night but came out of it 4-2 winners over the New York Red Bulls and Supporters’ Shield champions for the first time.

Justin Morrow scored a hat-trick and Victor Vazquez’s penalty made it 3-2 with just 10 minutes to go to secure the Reds’ most valuable win of the season.

Neither New York City FC nor Atlanta United can catch Toronto, regardless of their results this weekend.

In a scrappy opening, the Red Bulls set out to press Toronto aggressively and disrupted their rhythm early on.

When the Reds were able to break through their first line of defence or win the ball high up the pitch, though, space quickly opened up. They did the latter to allow Victor Vazquez to cross to Jozy Altidore, whose header down across the six-yard box was eventually converted by Morrow.

Toronto wasted little time in adding a second. Michael Bradley found himself in space near the edge of the area and though his shot was blocked, Morrow was on hand again to pounce on the loose ball.

The Red Bulls put the brakes on TFC’s attempt to run away with the game, though, by working a swift counter-attack upfield that was finished off by Gonzalo Veron just two minutes after Morrow’s second.

Those three goals flew in over a seven-minute span and there was nearly a fourth moments later when Bradley’s long-range effort cannoned off the woodwork.

Toronto came out flat after the break, though, and the Red Bulls’ pressure eventually told when Drew Moor fouled Veron in the area. Daniel Royer made no mistake from 12 yards.

But TFC were not prepared to let the opportunity get away. Just a couple of minutes after the Red Bulls had drawn level, Altidore posted up one-on-one against Aaron Long in the box and the defender hauled him down.

Vazquez stepped up and did not bow under pressure.

Morrow capped off an evening he and everyone else in red will remember for a long time with his third of the night in the closing stages.