This is exactly how rivalry games are played.
It was a hard-fought encounter on Saturday with a lot at stake early in the Leagues Cup as the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC battled until the end, with Toronto standing tallest to win after a 90-minute tie at Red Bull Arena.
It was The Reds goalkeeper who shined: Sean Johnson saved two penalty shots to secure two points and lead group East 6.
Both teams raced up and down the pitch, creating chances. Jonathan Osorio created three chances for Toronto in the first half but it wasn’t until the 39th minute that a shot from long range was saved by Ryan Meara.
The goalkeepers took over in the second half. Johnson finished regulation with four saves.
The Red Bulls dangerous duo of Lewis Morgan and Dante Vanzier — who came off the bench — created opportunities toward the end of regulation, but the couldn’t find a goal, which forced penalties for the extra point.
Lorenzo Insigne started off the shootout from 12 yards, hitting the crossbar and then neither team missed until the fifth shot for New York.
Sean Johnson saved the day when he prevented a Cory Burke shot extending the game to sudden death and — in the seventh round — the 2021 MLS Cup MVP saved the penalty kick from Andrés Reyes to get the extra point with a 5-4 penalty win.
“He has to do that for this team,” Toronto head coach John Herdman said about his goalkeeper. “If you are pushing for a championship, goalkeepers will win you championships, defenses will win your championships. You look at clean sheets, they're as important as what happens on the other end of the pitch.”
On the other hand, Sandro Schwarz was not pleased with the final score after the opportunities his team had during the game.
“We surely are disappointed about the ending, especially in the penalty shootout, but I think we had chances in the 90 minutes to win.”
Now they’ll turn their focus toward Pachuca, a game he considers is a must-win in their group.
“We have to win if we want to come out to the knockout stage, we have to prepare now,” Schwarz said.
New York will try to bounce back in their home stadium on Tuesday when they face Pachuca at 8 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass, and Toronto FC will rest while they study their group rivals.
