Toronto FC recorded a 5 – 0 victory against Simcoe County Rovers, courtesy of goals from Prince Owusu, Cassius Mailula, Kevin Long, Jonathan Osorio and Tyrese Spicer, on Wednesday evening to progress into the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship Quarter-Finals.

TFC Head Coach John Herdman made seven changes for the knockout match against the League1 Ontario side with Luka Gavran, Kosi Thompson, Aime Mabika, Kevin Long, Alonso Coello, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and Cassius Mailula coming in for Sean Johnson, Sigurd Rosted, Nicksoen Gomis, Raoul Petretta, Deybi Flores, Tyrese Spicer and Federico Bernardeschi.

Toronto FC, facing League1 Ontario opposition for the first time in club history, made their early dominance count with a four-goal first-half blitz at BMO Field. The Reds opened the scoring early when Kobe Franklin’s first-time cross into the box was headed home by the in-form Prince Owusu. The German’s 18^th minute goal marked the third consecutive match the forward has scored for the Reds, after finding the net in MLS action against Charlotte FC and New England Revolution in the month of April.

The hosts doubled their advantage when Owusu set up Cassius Mailula, whose sidefoot finish beat Rimi Olatunji in the Rovers’ goal. Making his first start for the Reds, the 30^th minute goal marked the South African forward’s first goal for the club.

TFC added a third on the night three minutes later when Jonathan Osorio’s corner into the box was met by Kevin Long whose 33^rd minute header found the back of the net and opened the Irish defender’s account for the Reds.

The Reds capped off the first-half blitz with an impressive team goal involving eight of the eleven on-field TFC players – Kevin Long, Luka Gavran, Matty Longstaff, Jonathan Osorio, Cassius Mailula, Alonso Coello, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and Prince Owusu, orchestrating a slick 10-pass sequence that culminated with Osorio volleying home for the Reds’ fourth of the night. Making a milestone 350^th appearance for Toronto FC, the 39^th minute goal marked the club captain’s eighth Canadian Championship goal and continues his record as the leading goalscorer in competition history.

The second half saw changes in personnel for both sides with Sigurd Rosted, Tyrese Spicer, Deybi Flores and Nicksoen Gomis entering the action for the hosts through the closing 45 minutes along with Toronto FC Academy product and TFC II midfielder Andrei Dumitru making his senior TFC debut entering the match at the start of the second half.

In the 76^th minute, the Reds scored the fifth and final goal of the night when Kobe Franklin picked out Tyrese Spicer in the box, marking Franklin’s second assist of the night and the Trinidadian midfielder’s first Canadian Championship goal.

Following’s TFC preliminary round win, the Reds advance to the quarter-finals of the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship and will take on the winner of HFX Wanderers FC (Canadian Premier League) and CS Saint-Laurent (Ligue1 Québec), set to be played on May 2, in a two-match home and away series in the month of May.

Next up, Toronto FC hit the road to visit Orlando City on Saturday, April 27 for their sixth away contest of the season. Kick-off from INTER&CO Stadium in Orlando, Florida, is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

LINEUPS

TORONTO FC – Luka Gavran; Kosi Thompson, Aimé Mabika, Kevin Long (Sigurd Rosted 46’); Kobe Franklin, Matty Longstaff, Alonso Coello (Deybi Flores 58’), Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (Nicksoen Gomis 66’); Jonathan Osorio (C) (Andrei Dumitru 46’), Cassius Mailula, Prince Owusu (Tyrese Spicer 46’)

Substitutes Not Used: Sean Johnson, Jesús Batiz

SIMCOE COUNTY ROVERS – Rimi Olatunji; Alejandro Portal, Justyn Thomas, Cameron Dasilva, Jordan Barclay (Felipe D’Agostini 58’); Ijah Halley (CJ Smith, 46’), Andron Kagramayan (Javier George 62’), Alexander Zis (Tajay Reid 46’), Shawn-Claud Lawson (C) (Paul Karagiannakos 72’); Orlendis Benitez Hernandez, Jevontae Layne

Substitutes Not Used: Dikola Douglas, Andre Beecher

NOTABLES:

• Toronto FC played a competitive match against League1 Ontario opposition for the first time in club history.
• Jonathan Osorio made his 350^th appearance for Toronto FC across all competitions, becoming the first player in club history to reach the milestone.
• Osorio has now featured in the Canadian Championship in eleven different seasons, tying former Red Ashtone Morgan and trailing only Vancouver Whitecaps’ Russell Teibert (12 seasons) in the tournament’s all-time history.
• The club captain also scored a tournament-leading eighth goal for Toronto FC in the 39^th
• Prince Owusu has now scored in three consecutive matches for the first time in his TFC career and has now been involved in six goals (four goals and two assists) in the last three matches (Major League Soccer and Canadian Championship).
• Prince Owusu and Kobe Franklin registered multiple assists (two) in a single game for the first time in their Toronto FC careers.
• Cassius Mailula made his first start and scored his first goal for TFC.
• Kevin Long scored his first goal for the Reds.
• Andrei Dumitru made his Toronto FC debut.
• Luka Gavran, Kevin Long, Matty Longstaff, Cassius Mailula, Prince Owusu, Tyrese Spicer, Andrei Dumitru, Deybi Flores and Nicksoen Gomis made their first appearances in the Canadian Championship.
• Toronto FC scored five goals in a match for the first time since scoring five against D.C. United in the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs on October 19, 2019.
• Toronto FC advance to the quarter-finals of the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship and will take on the winner of HFX Wanderers FC (Canadian Premier League) and CS Saint-Laurent (Ligue1 Québec) in a two-match home and away series in the month of May.

POSTMATCH SOUND can be found here.