Toronto FC thrash 10-man Montreal 6-1 in rivalry rout as Bernardeschi, Corbeanu score braces

Toronto FC delivered a dominant display on Saturday night, overwhelming Canadian rivals CF Montreal 6-1 in a one-sided MLS encounter.

Former Juventus winger Federico Bernardeschi and Canadian forward Theo Corbeanu each scored twice as Toronto took full advantage of an early red card.

The visitors took the lead in the 19th minute through Trinidad and Tobago international Tyrese Spicer, who finished off a quick counterattack. Montreal’s night worsened just two minutes later when Joel Waterman was sent off for a reckless challenge on Norwegian attacker Ola Brynhildsen, reducing the hosts to 10 men.

Bernardeschi made it 2-0 in the 30th minute with a composed finish, and Brynhildsen added a third after good build-up play involving Maxime Dominguez. Despite twice hitting the woodwork before halftime, Montreal couldn’t turn the tide.

Bernardeschi struck again in the second half with a brilliant solo effort, curling the ball into the far corner to make it 4-0. Although Giacomo Vrioni pulled one back for Montreal, substitute Corbeanu netted twice late on to complete the rout.

“This is a tough place to play, a big rival, and I thought the performance was very mature and composed,” said Toronto head coach Robin Fraser. “Going a man up helped, but it doesn’t always mean success. Fede (Bernardeschi) was dangerous almost every time he had the ball.”

In other MLS action, New York City FC claimed a 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls at Citi Field. Alonso Martinez opened the scoring with a spectacular long-range strike, and Maxi Moralez added the second after a costly error by Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel.

The rivalry-themed weekend continued later with a high-stakes Ohio derby between the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati, while Sunday features Inter Miami vs. Orlando City and the ‘El Trafico’ showdown between LA Galaxy and LAFC.