NYCFC – 0
Toronto FC – 5
Match Recap …
Sebastian Giovinco had three goals and an assist to lead Toronto FC to a 5-0 win over New York City FC in the second leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals in front of 28,355 at Yankee Stadium Sunday night.
Toronto FC wins the two-legged aggregate series 7-0 and advances to face the Montreal Impact in the Eastern Conference finals.
Giovinco put the visitors in front on six minutes on a low shot from 17 yards out and added a second from the penalty spot in the 20th minute.
Jozy Altidore made it 3-0 in the 30th minute when he latched onto a ball over the top by Eriq Zavaleta and fired in a blast off the bounce from the edge of the six-yard box.
NYCFC’s best scoring chance of the first half came in the 38th minute when Frank Lampard put a shot from distance on frame, but TFC goalkeeper Clint Irwin dived to parry it away for a corner kick.
Jonathan Osorio gave TFC a 4-0 lead when he tapped in a square pass from Will Johnson five minutes into the second half. Giovinco had his hat trick in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.
How They Lined Up …
Patrick Vieira made three changes to his starting XI from the side that lost 2-0 in the opening leg last Sunday at BMO Field.
Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard returned to the midfield in favor of Mikey Lopez and Federico Bravo, while Tommy McNamara started on the left side of the three-man front line for Steven Mendoza.
Khiry Shelton came on for RJ Allen at the second half, with NYCFC switching to three in the back.
In the 56th minute, Tony Taylor came on for McNamara and in the 75th minute, Federico Bravo replaced Pirlo as the final change.
Man of the Match …
Frank Lampard
Despite the sizable deficit, Lampard pushed forward and nearly netted a goal late in the first half, only to have TFC goalkeeper Clint Irwin dive to his right to parry away the shot from distance.
Key Moment …
With his club on a two-goal advantage entering the second leg, Sebastian Giovinco struck for the critical away goal on six minutes, receiving a pass from Jozy Altidore before turning and firing in a low shot from 17 yards out.
Stats and Milestones …
This was the first-ever MLS Cup playoff game at Yankee Stadium for NYCFC.
What It Means …
With the 7-0 aggregate loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the 2016 NYCFC season has come to an end.
