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The Passage
Bardown
. . .
MONTREAL – Nathan Goulet may barely have eyes.
The 22-year-old CS Saint-Laurent defender remembers watching Federico Bernardeschi play in the UEFA Champions League with Italy’s elite club Juventus a few years ago.
On Wednesday night, they met on the field, in a 9,500-capacity stadium, as Bernardeschi’s Toronto FC beat semi-professional Saint-Laurent 3-0 in the first match of the Canadian Championship quarterfinals.
“To see them in front of us today is like a dream,” Goulet said of facing TFC. Since we were young, we have been watching them and today they are in front of us, in the same field. in Montreal, at the Claude-Robillard sports complex.
Matty Longstaff fired a shot past goalkeeper Kosta Maniatis in the most sensitive right corner to open the scoring in the 50th minute.
Deandre Kerr scored in the 59th minute and Bernardeschi, who came on as a second-half substitute, fired a cheeky loose shot in the 76th minute as Toronto halted Saint-Laurent’s Cinderella streak.
Saint-Laurent beat Canadian Premier League side Halifax Wanderers FC 2-2 (5-3) on penalties last Thursday to prepare for the match against Major League Soccer’s top seed TFC.
Ligue 1 champions Quebec were the first team in the league to triumph at this level of the competition.
An announced attendance of 6,482 fans, some of whom lit flares in the stands, cheered on every touch and clearance from Saint-Laurent on a rainy night with 9°C.
“What a performance by Saint-Laurent, I think they were extraordinary tonight,” Toronto head coach John Herdman said. “What an amazing vibe. I enjoyed it, it was like a real cup game. “
Many Laurentian players juggle their studies and up to two jobs while studying 4 times a week.
Meanwhile, Italian stars Lorenzo Insigne and Bernardeschi earned $15. 4 million and $6. 3 million, respectively, per season for Toronto.
Despite the lopsided salaries, Saint-Laurent kept their opponent at bay in the first half. Toronto dominated the game with 66 possessions, but had a 7-6 shot on target.
“We are very proud of the efforts that (our players) have made,” Saint-Laurent head coach Nicholas Razzaghi said. “They didn’t approach this challenge with fear, they did it with a lot of confidence and courage and I think it’s possible that everyone will see that tonight.
“If we had kids who didn’t paint or go to school five times a week and played football full time, we’d think anything is possible. “
After Longstaff opened the scoring, Saint-Laurent’s Loïc Kwemi pressed with an attempt that appeared to touch a defender’s hand in the box, but was not penalized. Toronto immediately jumped in on the fast break and Kerr scored off the post.
Razzaghi lamented the missed decision after the game, in a game in which his team had little margin for error.
“These are game-changing times and we’re not in a situation where we can miss those things,” he said. “In fact, we are very affected by this appeal. We all thought it was a hand. “
“In a 1-1 scenario with momentum, anything could have happened. “
The second leg will take place on May 21 at BMO Field and the winner will face either CF Montréal of MLS or Forge FC of CPL in the semifinals. The two are tied 1-1 on aggregate after the first leg.
TFC made 8 adjustments from the starting 11 that beat FC Dallas 3-1 on Saturday. Canadian national team captain and veteran player Jonathan Osorio headlined the headlines.
Toronto eliminated semi-professional Simcoe County Rovers from Ontario League 1 5-0 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Goulet prevented Toronto from taking an early lead with a punt from the goal line in the seventh minute. Osorio fired into an open space after Maniatis dived to save, but Goulet refused.
Maniatis stopped Kerr at a partial break in the minute as the crowd erupted.
“It’s crazy,” said Goulet. In the first 10-15 minutes we saw that the crowd was filled to the brim and that gave us encouragement. “
Then Saint-Laurent started pressing. Oussama Boughanmi sent a loose shot over the bar from dangerous dominance in the 23rd minute.
Kwemi had a chance from the edge of the box in the 41st minute, but he also put it over the net.
The home side tried to equalize the game when captain Wesley Wandje had a golden opportunity for Saint-Laurent, but perhaps couldn’t beat Luka Gavran.
“There’s a lot to be proud of for St. Laurent tonight,” Herdman said. “They pushed us, they pushed us hard. “
This report via The Canadian Press was first published on May 8, 2024.