TORONTO – Bring on Columbus Crew SC.

Toronto FC advanced to the next stage of the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs on Sunday night where they will face Crew SC in the Eastern Conference Championship.

The New York Red Bulls won the match 1-0, but with the series tied 2-2 on aggregate, TFC moves on to the next round thanks to the two goals scored at Red Bull Arena last Monday.

“It didn't come easy, it wasn't a pretty game,” said Michael Bradley post-match. “It wasn't a game where there was a ton of good football. That's what these playoff games are like at times... what games against Red Bulls are like.” 

“You have to embrace that, be comfortable with idea it may not be exactly how we would want it to look. That's life this time of year,” continued Bradley. “The teams that understand that, that don't let that faze them, that don't get rattled... those are the teams that find a way to keep playing and give themselves the chance to be the last team standing.”

It was a tense affair in the November rains at BMO Field. New York came to play, bringing energy and their trademark chaos. 

Toronto had the best chance in the first half with Sebastian Giovinco and Victor Vazquez combined down the right flank to get the Italian into the area. His low curling shot was dragged just wide of the far-post. It appeared as though New York's Luis Robles got a saving touch, but a corner kick would not materialize.

The match took a turn in the 36th minute when both Jozy Altidore and Sacha Kljestan were shown yellow cards after a tackle from Giovinco on Tyler Adams drew a crowd.

It was a conversation that carried into halftime, into the tunnel, from whence neither would return, each shown reds for their troubles.

The visitors would take the lead unexpectedly come the 53rd minute when a harmless Daniel Royer shot from way out banked off the knee of Bradley Wright-Phillips, catching Alex Bono wrong-footed and trickling into the TFC net.

Bono would come up huge nine minutes later, off his line lightning quick, to deny Wright-Phillips when Adams finally managed to find the striker in space.

“It was a big save,” said Greg Vanney. “Until then they didn't have a whole lot – even the goal they had was a fluke. In these types of games you're going to have to make a play somewhere along the line. Alex was quick off his line to make the save there. The group took a big sigh of relief there and moved on.”

Said Bono, who demurred from calling it a 'series-saving' play: “You never know throughout the course of the game. If they score that, we could come back and score our own. It's the job of a goalkeeper to make saves when called upon. That's all I was trying to do.”

Substitutes made, a single goal either way changing the complexion of the tie, Toronto settled down, and found some chances of their own.

“As the game went down, the last 25 minutes, it was a pretty mature performance,” noted Vanney. “We adjusted a few things, added an extra number in midfield, added some presence up the field, had some good chances.”

Twice it appeared as though TFC had the goal to finish off the Red Bulls, only for each to be ruled out. 

Jonathan Osorio was on hand to force a clipped Giovinco ball to the back-post over the line, but it was ruled offside in the 78th minute. Vazquez then struck a quickly-taken free-kick into the back of the New York net in the 91st minute, but it too was pulled back.

Defender Drew Moor, who overcame an ankle knock to return, explained the proceedings: “Nobody wants to give an inch.”

“Away goals are huge. When you go on the road you're OK about an open game, both teams scoring goals. At home, it's got to be cagey; you've got to defend well, be organized,” outlined Moor. “Both teams have different game plans going into each leg. It makes for a lot of fun, a lot of excitement. Tonight probably a little too exciting for what we wanted. Sometimes you have to just grind it out. We showed a lot of character and a lot of heart tonight.”

Said Bradley: “You don't get to choose how games go this time of year. You have to have a group that doesn't get fazed, knows how to keep going even when things don't come perfectly.” 

“The response, the mental strength, the sheer determination of every guy to withstand whatever we needed to... that was what tonight was about,” added Bradley. “The next game may be about something different, but that was what tonight was about.”