In the first-ever ‘Toronto Derby,’ a pair of first-half goals from Jonathan Osorio and Ifunanyachi Achara helped Toronto FC past York United FC 4-0 on a rainy evening at BMO Field on Wednesday night to advance to the 2021 Canadian Championship semifinals.
Playing in their first game in the competition since last year's final was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the seven-time Canadian Championship winners, Toronto FC, exerting their might over their local rivals right from the jump.
Their first real chance came in the 16th minute. After some clever build-up play from the Reds, Venezuelan Designated Player Yeferson Soteldo slipped a ball in behind to Achara, and he squared it to Osorio, but the Canadian international's shot from point-blank range was denied by a good save from York United keeper Nathan Ingham.
Osorio wouldn’t be held off the score sheet for much longer, however. In the 34th minute, Jacob Shaffelburg's cross had eyes for his fellow countryman, who was unmarked in the York United box, and Osorio powered home a header past Ingham to make it 1-0.
Seven minutes later, Shaffelburg would facilitate down the left-hand side once again, this time finding Achara streaking through the middle with a low cross, and the 2020 MLS SuperDraft pick made no mistake, finishing first-time to put TFC up 2-0.
The match may have finished more lopsided if it were not for a stellar double-save from Ingham in the 72nd minute to deny Soteldo, who could only look skyward after he thought his header – off another cross from Shaffelburg – was goal-bound.
But Soteldo would get the last laugh, converting a penalty – won by 17-year-old Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty – in the 84th minute to make it 3-0, putting this fixture out of reach.
Before final whistle, another young Canadian would get in on the action, as Noble Okello ran on to a Michael Bradley through ball and calmly finish with a hard shot into the bottom-right corner to make it 4-0 and cap off the scoring.
Toronto FC will face the winner of Cavalry FC and Pacific FC, who play later Wednesday evening, in the next stage of the competition. The exact date and time of the semifinals is still to be determined.
