Real Salt Lake’s stoppage-time goal sinks Toronto FC on interim Dunfield’s debut

An extra-time goal from substitute Anderson Julio gave Real Salt Lake a 1-0 win and ruined Interim Terry Dunfield’s debut for Toronto FC on Saturday.

After TFC defender Aime Mabika cleared an attempt from the line, Julio blasted in the rebound.

Dunfield replaced a fired Bob Bradley last Monday in hopes that the TFC (3-8-10) can turn its fight around this Major League Soccer season.

TFC faced a team that has performed well beyond Utah this season as Real Salt Lake (8-7-6) extended its road streak to a club record 10 games (8-0-2) with the victory at BMO Field.

The visiting team came close late in regulation time. Braian Ojeda whistled a shot from outside the penalty area just wide of the left post from a corner in the 80th minute.

TFC keeper Greg Ranjitsingh made a big stop on Diego Luna three minutes later, despite Damir Kreilach being offside.

Whitecaps eliminated by Sporting KC

Remi Walter and Alan Pulido scored first half goals as Sporting Kansas City recorded a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night.

Walter found the net for the first time this season when he took a pass from Gadi Kinda in the 33rd minute to score the only goal Kendall McIntosh and Sporting KC (6-10-6) would need.

Pulido used assists from Walter and Tim Leibold in the second minute of stoppage time to put Sporting KC ahead 2–0 at half time. Pulido has scored seven of his eight goals in his last six appearances this season. Erik Thommy scored unassisted in the 53rd minute to complete the scoring. It was Thommy’s third goal of the campaign.

McIntosh stopped one shot to get the clean sheet for Sporting KC. Yohei Takaoka had one save for Vancouver.

Vancouver (6-6-7) was coming off a 2-0 victory over defending champions Los Angeles FC that snapped a 15-match winless run away from home. The Whitecaps have not won twice in a row since August 2018.

The Whitecaps had gone 2-0-1 in their last three games with Sporting KC.

Ryan Gauld had his four-game goal streak for the Whitecaps, finishing one game short of Camilo Sanvezzo’s club record in 2013.

Vancouver returns home to host the Seattle Sounders on Saturday. Sporting KC travels to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.

CF Montreal falls into the hands of New York City FC

It took an incredible first-half scissor kick from New York City FC’s Matias Pellegrini to stop CF Montreal’s clean sheet and take a winning streak after losing 1-0 in six games.

Pellegrini’s goal in the 33rd minute was the winner for New York (5-7-9), which earned its first road win of the Major League Soccer season.

Montreal (8-10-2) found success in this run by imposing themselves and dictating the pace early on, but struggled on Canada Day. The hosts conceded more possession and failed to press as high up the field, giving New York more time to play.

Looking for their first win in 12 games in all competitions, NYCFC descended to a low block, looking to get behind the ball and choke Montreal’s midfield. For nearly an hour the approach worked as the hosts were limited to low percentage shots from outside the box.

Both teams will return to action at home when New York returns to Citi Field on July 5 to host Charlotte FC, while Montreal welcomes Atlanta United on July 8.