Emil Forsberg scored from the penalty spot and had an assist in his first start since he was sidelined with a foot injury in June, leading the visiting New York Red Bulls to a 4-1 win over Toronto FC on Wednesday.
Lewis Morgan also scored from the spot for his team-leading 13th goal and had two assists for the Red Bulls (11-7-14, 47 points), who had not earned an MLS win since before the Leagues Cup break began in late July.
John Tolkin scored in between the penalties and Elias Manoel added late insurance as the visitors ensured they would finish no lower than seventh in the Eastern Conference.
Prince Osei Owusu pulled a goal back from the spot for Toronto (11-18-4, 37 points), which dropped to ninth in the East, the conference’s last playoff spot. The Reds will play their regular-season finale on Saturday without Italian star Federico Bernardeschi, who was sent off for a second yellow-card foul and will have to serve a suspension against Inter Miami.
Forsberg made his return from injury as a second-half substitute in the Red Bulls’ 5-1 defeat to New York City FC on Saturday. On Wednesday, he was in manager Sandro Schwarz’s starting lineup for the first time since June 1.
He converted the opening goal in the 27th minute, following a lengthy video review that finished with referee Filip Dujic ruling Shane O’Neill had pulled down Morgan inside the box.
The Red Bulls doubled their lead three minutes after the break. Forsberg played a short pass to Morgan near the penalty arc, and Morgan sprayed a one-touch ball wide left. That’s where Tolkin ran onto it and hammered an open transition finish past Toronto FC goalie Sean Johnson.
Forsberg departed in the 63rd minute, and Owusu converted his penalty coolly in the 66th minute. However, the deficit was narrowed for only three minutes before O’Neill’s second penalty offense allowed Morgan to add his name to the scoresheet.
Any realistic chance for a Toronto comeback ended in the 74th minute when Dujic issued Bernardeschi his second booking for obviously pulling down New York’s Dylan Nealis during a potential counterattack.
Bernardeschi drop-kicked the ball out of the field of play in frustration after his third and final ejection of the season in 29 appearances.
–Field Level Media