Badji and Pirani's late goals help lowly D.C. United cool off Toronto FC 3-1

TORONTO — Toronto FC's runway for making Major League Soccer's playoffs got a lot shorter on Saturday.

Attacker Dominique Badji scored in the dying minutes as D.C. United cooled off Toronto FC with a 3-1 victory. Midfielder Deandre Kerr said everyone in Toronto's locker-room knows they have to make the most of a two-week break to get ready for the final six matches of the regular season.

"We're in a playoff race," said Kerr, who came on in the 75th minute then scored TFC's goal eight minutes later. "We know how important every single game is going to be from now on, and every game's a Cup final for us to get to that playoff spot.

"That's what we're going to be working towards this next week and for the rest of the season."

Kerr tied the game for Toronto FC (10-15-4) after he was subbed on for star attacker Lorenzo Insigne with the hosts trailing 1-0.

All-star midfielder Federico Bernardeschi and captain Jonathan Osorio were both unavailable for Toronto after three gruelling matches in eight days.

That included a 1-0 win on the road against the Houston Dynamo in league play on Aug. 24 and a 1-0 victory over the Canadian Premier League's Forge FC on Tuesday in the second leg of the Canadian championship semifinal.

Toronto FC's win over the Hamilton-based CPL side advanced them to the Voyageurs Cup final against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sept. 25.

D.C. United was significantly more rested, having played only twice in August: a 10-man 2-1 loss to Mazatlan in Leagues Cup play on Aug. 9 and a 4-3 defeat to FC Dallas, again down a man, on Aug. 24.

"I just don't want to give any excuses. I mean, you're in a playoff run," said head coach John Herdman. "As a staff, collectively as a player group, we've got to die on that pitch.

"We've got to put everything out there for the fans, for each other, to reach our goal. I think we just didn't feel it. I didn't feel that we were all there, ready to die for that performance."

The Reds had won six of their past eight matches across all competitions heading into the match after team president Bill Manning parted with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the club's owners, on July 11.

That had put them within a point of Orlando City SC for seventh in MLS's Eastern Conference. But Saturday's loss to D.C. coupled with Orlando's 3-0 win over Nashville put TFC four points back of a playoff berth.

"We're in a battle," said Herdman, who promised training would be intense before TFC hosts Austin on Sept. 14. "Whether it's the people behind the scenes, the people on the pitch, the coaching staff, the players, it's a collective fight for this club.

"Everyone's got to bring their best."

Midfielder Martin Rodriguez, himself a sub, opened scoring for D.C. United (7-12-9). Gabriel Pirani added another goal in injury time to put the match out of reach.

Rodriguez completed a series of chips and headers to put the ball into the net in the 67th minute. His goal started on a free kick a few yards outside the box, with the ball pinballing between Pedro Santos, Jared Stroud and Ted Ku-DiPietro before landing at Rodriguez's feet for the tap in.

Toronto FC wasn't done just yet though.

Midfielder Richie Laryea chipped a looping pass into the box from just outside the penalty area and Kerr got his head on it to draw the game even.

"After we tied it up, the game got a bit stretched and got a bit more direct, which probably favoured them," said Kerr. "So, yeah, a tough one."

Badji put the game away in the 87th minute when he took control of a through ball and, unmarked in the box, put a hard shot on net past Johnson.

Pirani sealed the win in stoppage time when the ball deflected off a defender and back to him near the top of the box. He made no mistake, firing the ball right back into the net to make it 3-1 and empty the stadium into the Exhibition Place grounds, where the Canadian National Exhibition was open for another 30 minutes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press