Toronto FC's nosedive continued Sunday in a 3-2 Major League Soccer loss to CF Montreal that showed some good but a lot more bad.
Mathieu Choiniere scored twice for Montreal as Toronto suffered a franchise-record ninth straight loss in all competitions.
The good for Toronto was a second-half comeback, with Lorenzo Insigne providing a spark off the bench and fellow Italian Federico Bernardeschi scoring two stylish goals, with the second coming in injury time.
The bad was a first half that saw TFC booed off the field trailing 2-0 and without a shot on target.
Interim coach Terry Dunfield continues to wait for his first win after seven straight losses at the helm. But he saw some positives.
"If we're able to cut out some of the errors, there was some really nice football at times," he said. "I think after halftime, when we reorganized, the team showed some resiliency in the second half which was nice."
Toronto (3-12-10) is now winless in 12 games (0-9-3) and has just one win in its last 18 outings (1-13-4) in all competitions.
Montreal (10-12-2) had collected just five of a possible 36 points on the road coming into the game but looked like a world-beater in comparison to the home side in the first half. It was a welcome three points for Montreal, which had won just one of its previous seven outings (1-4-2) in all competitions.
Toronto's second-half rally was essentially snuffed out when fullback Raoul Petretta was sent off in the 77th minute for bundling down Lassi Lappalainen in the box with Montreal on a three-on-one break.
Choiniere beat Tomas Romero from the penalty spot to end the drama. It was his fourth goal of the season.
"I'm gutted for our fans that we weren't able to chase it with 11 men. But I don't think it deterred us," said Dunfield. "We kept going. It would have been nice if we had another five minutes, even with 10 men."
Montreal outshot Toronto 12-10 (6-3 in shots on target).
Toronto had more of the ball in the opening 10 minutes Sunday but then found itself on the back foot as Montreal took control and went up 2-0 on an 18th-minute goal by Choiniere and a 25th-minute Aime Mabika own goal.
Canadian striker Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, making his first MLS start, was heavily involved in both goals. But after the bright start, the 20-year-old limped off with an injury in the 37th minute.
Montreal went ahead on its first shot on target. A long pass found Vilsaint whose shot from outside the penalty box hit the goalpost, then went off the back of Romero. The rebound eventually bounced back in front and Choiniere beat fullback Brandon Servania to poke it in.
Toronto paid for a mistake seven minutes later.
After a poor Romero goal kick came straight back in his direction, Vilsaint's shot was saved by a diving Romero but the rebound went in off Mabika as he tried to beat Kwadwo Opoku to the ball.
It could have been 3-0 in the 40th but Bryce Duke's header hit the crossbar.
Insigne, who had been sidelined by injury since July 1, entered the game to cheers in the 60th minute along with veteran forward C.J. Sapong.
Bernardeschi scored a highlight-reel goal from distance in the 66th minute to make it 2-1. Taking a pass from Insigne, Bernardeschi curled a shot into the top corner of the goal to end Toronto's 685-minute goal drought.
It was Bernardeschi's first goal since April 1. He now has five on the season.
Toronto had not scored since June 24 when Deandre Kerr was on target in a 2-1 loss at New England that marked Bob Bradley's final outing as head coach and sporting director.
TFC, outscored 13-0 in July in losing six straight, has not won since May 27, a 2-1 decision over visiting D.C. United.
Montreal has now won four straight over Toronto and is 6-1-0 in the last seven league meetings. Toronto had lost twice already to Montreal this season, beaten 2-1 on May 9 at BMO Field in Canadian Championship play and 2-0 on May 13 in league play at Stade Saputo.
Captain Michael Bradley, Bob's son, returned to the Toronto starting lineup after a lengthy injury absence while there was a first start for newly acquired forward Prince Owusu. The German showed flashes of what he has to offer but had next to no service.
After the game, Owusu revealed he had been battling a bug.
South African international striker Cassius Mailula, another new signing, was on the bench but did not see action.
The 36-year-old Bradley last played April 8, missing the last 20 games in all competitions with a hamstring injury that required surgery. Perhaps understandably, he looked rusty and was replaced at halftime in what Dunfield said was a planned moved.
Romero got the start in goal with No. 1 Sean Johnson out with a broken hand and No. 3 Greg Ranjitsingh sidelined by a lower body injury. Luka Gavran served as backup.
TFC was also missing injured defender Cristian Gutierrez, midfielder Latif Blessing and forward Adama Diomande.
Montreal was missing Honduran international forward Romell Quioto (hamstring).
NEXT UP
Both teams return to action next Saturday with Toronto visiting Columbus and Montreal hosting New England.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2023.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press