St. Louis City's Nicholas Gioacchini (left) battles for the ball with Toronto FC's Aime Mabika during first half MLS action in Toronto, on Saturday, July 8, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
TORONTO – Aziel Jackson scored in the 50th minute as St. Louis City SC downed Toronto FC 1-0 on Saturday night to hand the struggling Canadian side its fifth straight loss.
The 21-year-old midfielder took advantage of a sloppy sequence around the TFC’s penalty area before sliding home his first-career Major League Soccer goal early in the second half.
The result resigned TFC interim head coach Terry Dunfield to a third straight defeat since taking over for the fired Bob Bradley, and pushed the club’s record to a miserable 3-10-10 in 2023.
Toronto has now been outscored 6-0 under Dunfield, 11-1 over its last five matches, is winless in eight (0-5-3), and has one victory in 14 games (1-9-4) across all competitions over the last 70 days.
St. Louis (12-7-3), meanwhile, is now unbeaten in three (2-0-1) as the expansion club continues to build on a solid campaign atop the Western Conference.
Offered the first-team job on an interim basis after Toronto axed Bradley late last month, Dunfield lost his first two matches in charge – 1-0 to Real Salt Lake at home on Canada Day and Tuesday’s 4-0 road dismantling at Orlando City SC.
Promised at least a four-game audition to prove himself in TFC’s big chair before management makes a long-term decision, the 41-year-old from Vancouver was again forced to fill out a patchwork team sheet with a slew of absences due to injury, international duty and a key suspension.
Lorenzo Insigne missed a second straight match with a lower-body injury, while fellow Italian star Federico Bernardeschi sat out after being sent off against Orlando.
Toronto did have one regular back in the fold as goalkeeper Tomas Romero returned from international duty with El Salvador at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Despite millions of dollars in talents sidelined or unavailable, Dunfield’s undermanned squad dug in and fought for its new boss.
Romero made a big stop on St. Louis leading scorer Nicholas Gioacchini in the 18th minute before TFC defender Kobe Franklin flashed an effort just wide at the other end in the 32nd.
Held without a shot on target against Orlando, the home side finally tested Roman Burki in the 36th when Jahkeele Marshall-Ruty sizzled a shot off the St. Louis goalkeeper’s fingertips.
Toronto, which sported a colourful kit for its Caribbean Heritage Night, owned the majority of the first-half possession, but the visitors had two late chances, including a big stop from Romero on Sam Adeniran.
Marshall-Ruty had another opportunity to break TFC’s goal drought early in the second half – Toronto entered with three goals in its last seven matches – but couldn’t find the range from just outside the 18-yard box.
The midfielder then briefly switched off moments, allowing Jackson to pounce and bury his first goal in MLS and add another check in Toronto’s ever-growing loss column.
BERNARDESCHI BANNED
The 29-year-old will also miss TFC’s next match because of yellow card accumulation.
Dunfield said he sat down with the colourful Italian to discuss his temper in what has been a frustrating campaign.
“He showed accountability,” Dunfield said Friday. “What he’s most disappointed about is soccer has been taken away from him “¦ that’s what really is hurting him.
“The fact that is bothering him so much shows that he cares and he’s on board with what we’re doing.”
UP NEXT
Toronto visits the Chicago Fire on July 15, while St. Louis hosts Inter Miami the same night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2023.
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