A brilliant one-touch finish from Pedro Santos brought Columbus Crew SC (7-14-6, 27 pts) back into the thick of it before David Accam buried a then-go-ahead goal late in the second half, but a stoppage-time header from Toronto FC's Jozy Altidore made sure Leg 1 of the 2019 Trillium Cup stayed on even grounds as part of a 2-2 draw on Saturday, Aug. 17 at MAPFRE Stadium.
Toronto (9-10-7, 34 pts.) struck first just before halftime when Canadian international Jonathan Osorio approached the top of the 18-yard-box unencumbered before pinging it low and to the left of a diving Eloy Room, whose effort proved unsuccessful.
As the Crew sought a second-half goal for the sixth consecutive match, Santos came into the spotlight once again with a 48th-minute tally on a direct play from Wil Trapp. The central midfielder lofted in a ball from 30 yards out to a stretching Santos, who found his one-touch attempt glide past TFC 'keeper Quentin Westberg from 10 yards out. The tally marked Santos' ninth of the season, a new career-high.
With momentum riding high, Accam, who subbed on for Connor Maloneyin the 80th minute, took matters into his own hands after streaking up the far flank and burying his shot inside the far post for the go-ahead goal. The goal marked Accam's second goal in 12 appearances for Crew SC.
As it looked like Crew SC would come out of MAPFRE Stadium with three points, Altidore took advantage of a defensive lapse and calmly placed an open header from the six-yard box past Room to secure the 2-2 result.
On the day, Crew SC outshot TFC 13-7, including a 4-3 advantage in shots on target. Nine of the Crew's shots came inside the box while Toronto maintained the possession edge, 53-to-47 percent. Notably, midfielder Youness Mokhtar made his debut start for the Crew since first joining the Club during the summer transfer window.
Saturday's draw, which also marked Columbus third-to-last home match of the 2019 regular-season, extended Crew SC's unbeaten streak to six as the Black & Gold travel to New York City FC on Wednesday, Aug. 21 for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff.
Toronto FC
MATCH NOTES
Midfielder Pedro Santos registered his ninth goal of the 2019 regular season in tonight’s contest. Santos’ goal came in the 48th minute, when he connected with the back of the net after receiving a pass from Wil Trapp, scoring the equalizer for Crew SC. In addition to his strike, Santos had four shots (one shot on target). Notably, in his last five matches for the Black & Gold, Santos has scored four goals and provided one assist. In 2019, the midfielder has made 26 regular-season appearances (24 starts), while scoring nine goals (two game-winning goals) and providing three assists (three game-winning assists).
In tonight’s contest, David Accam registered his second goal since joining the Black & Gold on May 8. Accam, who came on as a substitute in the 80th minute, made an immedia impact, recording a goal in the 82nd minute, when he scored after receiving a pass from Harrison Afful. With the Black & Gold, Accam has recorded 12 regular-season appearances (eight starts) recording two goals and providing one assist. In all, the midfielder has made 121 regular-season appearances (91 starts) recording six goals and providing 18 assists since joining MLS in 2015.
With his start in tonight’s contest, midfielder Wil Trapp recorded his 175th MLS regular-season start (179th appearance). Trapp marked the occasion by providing the assist on Pedro Santos’ 48th-minute goal for Crew SC, his fourth helper of the 2019 regular season in 22 appearances (all starts). Should Trapp tally one more assist during the 2019 regular season, he will equal his career best of five helpers in a single regular season, which he achieved in 2015. Tonight, Trapp played the entire 90 minutes, led the team with 72 touches, attempting 59 passes and finishing with a passing percentage of 89.8.
Midfielder Youness Mokhtar recorded his first MLS and Crew SC start in tonight’s home match. Mokhtar played 67 minutes. Mokhtar joined the Crew from Stabaek of the Norwegian First Division on July 19 of this year. Prior to joining the Black & Gold, Mokhtar made 170 First Division appearances across the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, while scoring 28 goals and providing 31 assists.
With its 2-2 draw against Toronto FC tonight, Crew SC extended its undefeated streak to six consecutive matches in regular-season action dating back to a 2-2 draw on the road against the Chicago Fire (July 17). Over that span, the Black & Gold have posted a record of 2-0-4. In addition to the aforementioned results, the Crew has also registered wins against the Montreal Impact (July 20) and the New York Red Bulls (July 27), while also drawing against the San Jose Earthquakes (August 3) and FC Cincinnati (August 10).
Next up, Crew SC faces New York City FC in a road contest match at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, August 21 (7:00 p.m. ET / FOX Sports Ohio, FOX Sports GO / 97.1 The Fan and streaming online via the “Listen Live” button at 971TheFan.com / Spanish audio on ColumbusCrewSC.com).
