Toronto FC's Ayo Akinola, right, shoots and scores in front of D.C. United's Andy Najar during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, July 3, 2021, in Washington.Will Newton/The Associated Press
Toronto FC’s woes continued Saturday as D.C. United opened a shooting clinic, torching the visitors 7-1.
It was the sixth loss in a row for a Toronto (1-8-2) side that sits at the bottom of the Major League Soccer standings.
Kevin Paredes, Nigel Robertha, Paul Arriola, Ola Kamara, Yamil Asad and Griffin Yow all scored for D.C. United (5-6-1). TFC’s Ralph Priso-Mbongue added an own goal.
Ayo Akinola scored the lone tally for Toronto, temporarily cutting the deficit to 3-1 in the 39th minute.
TFC goalkeeper Alex Bono had a difficult afternoon in net, stopping just two of seven on-target shots. D.C.’s Bill Hamid recorded three saves.
Toronto was left undermanned in the 78th minute when defender Eriq Zavaleta was sent off after receiving his second yellow card of the game.
TFC got off to a shakey start on Saturday and the team never recovered from a disastrous stretch across the game’s first 21 minutes.
The trouble began in just the second minute when a cross from D.C.’s Andy Najar skipped across the penalty area in front of several Toronto defenders and Paredes popped a shot into the top-left corner of the net. The 18-year-old American’s first-ever MLS goal gave United an early 1-0 lead.
It seemed TFC would recover when Akinola responded with a chance of his own just a minute later, narrowly missing United’s net with a left-footed shot.
But in the ninth minute, Junior Moreno sprung Robertha for a breakaway and the Dutch international put a calm, low shot past Bono’s outstretched leg for his second goal of the season in just his second start.
It briefly appeared the visitors got a goal back in the 14th minute when Richie Laryea danced around Brendan Hines-Ike and got a shot in past Hamid. Officials quickly called the goal offside.
Another defensive stumble saw the ball end up in the back of Toronto’s net once again in the 21st minute. The ball pinged around the penalty area before bouncing off Priso-Mbongue and in past Bono, who was diving in the opposite direction.
Akinola gave his side a brief glimmer of hope before the half. D.C. gave the ball away to Michael Bradley and the veteran Toronto midfielder sent it up to Akinola, who blasted a left-footed shot past Hamid to make it 3-1.
United once again took a three-goal lead in the 71st, however, when Arriola stepped around defender Chris Mavinga inside the penalty area and rocketed a shot in over an outstretched Bono for his second goal of the season.
Three of D.C.’s goals came in the final nine minutes of the game.
The 18-year-old Yow sealed the score at 7-1 in the 90th minute when he tucked a shot into the Toronto net from the short side.
Five minutes earlier, Asad headed in a rocket from the top of the six-yard box.
Kamara struck in the 81st minute, receiving a long ball and getting ahead of two Toronto defenders. Mavinga kept pace but couldn’t contain the Norwegian forward, who blasted in a shot for his fifth goal of the season.
Kamara put another ball in the back of Toronto’s net in the 83rd minute but was quickly called for being offside.
Zavaleta was sent off in the 78th minute after receiving his second yellow of the game when he hauled down Arriola on a run outside of Toronto’s penalty area. He’d also received a caution for a foul in the 75th minute.