Toronto FC extends drought with loss to DC United

Last Updated: Saturday, August 25, 2007 | 11:43 PM ET

CBC Sports

By John F. Molinaro, CBCSports.ca

TORONTO — This is getting embarrassing.

Toronto FC midfielder Todd Dunivant (12) battles for a header with D.C. United midfielder Brian Carroll (16) during the first half of their match on Saturday.
(Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

Toronto FC extended its winless streak to eight games (five losses and three draws) with a 1-0 loss to DC United Saturday night at BMO Field.

Instead of presenting coach Mo Johnston with a victory on his first anniversary with the club, Toronto established a dubious league record, ensuring the Scot won't soon forget this day no matter how hard he tries.

The expansion franchise has now gone 642 consecutive minutes (almost 11 hours) without scoring, shattering the old Major League Soccer benchmark for goal futility, 557 minutes, set by Real Salt Lake in 2005.

Toronto's last goal came on July 7 in a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire. Its last win was against Salt Lake on July 4.

With the loss, Toronto fell to 5-12-5 on the season and remains in last place in the Eastern Conference with 20 points.

"It's more frustrating than anything because when you do work hard and you feel you deserve something and you don't get it, it's frustrating," captain Jim Brennan said of the goal drought.

"We're a good group of guys here. We work hard for one another and we know [a goal] is going to come," the defender added.

Hard work praised

Johnston said he wasn't bothered that the club set the record, and instead lauded his team for their hard work and being competitive against a strong DC club.

"We managed the game fairly well but we just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. That's the way soccer is — sometimes it kicks you in the teeth," Johnston told reporters after the game.

Johnston felt his team dictated the pace of the game and created far more scoring chances than DC.

"These guys gave everything for the cause tonight … I don't think anyone among the 20,000 [fans] watching in the stadium could have said DC was the better team," Johnston said.

It wasn't due to a lack of effort that Toronto didn't score Saturday. Instead, the club can take some solace in the fact that it ran into a hot goalkeeper by the name of Troy Perkins.

Toronto put DC under intense pressure for the opening five minutes, but Perkins made a brilliant save to deny Toronto midfielder Maurice Edu from inside the box.

Twist of fate

It looked as though it would be only a matter of time before Toronto would score, but then, in a cruel twist of fate, DC took the lead in the eighth minute on its first attempt on goal.

Perkins booted a long ball up the middle and Clyde Simms fed the ball out wide to Brazilian forward Fred who used his speed to burst into the box before slipping a low shot through the legs of Toronto goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos.

It was a cruel sucker-punch that floored Toronto, but Johnston's team quickly picked itself up off the canvas and came out swinging, testing Perkins with some long-range shots.

Toronto poured on the pressure in the second half.

Todd Dunivant was sprung loose inside the penalty area following a gorgeous four-touch passing sequence by Toronto, but again Perkins came to DC's rescue, stopping the midfielder on a one-on-one chance in the 70th minute.

DC's bend-but-not-break defence kept Toronto at bay for the rest of the contest to hold on for the win.

Midfielder Carl Robinson was at a loss as to explain what Toronto has to do to break out of its scoring funk.

"I'm not sure. I don't know," the Welshman said. "When we do score, it will be a huge sigh of relief. … I know people are talking about the record, but it doesn't both us."

Both sides were missing key players.

Toronto learned Wednesday it would be without forward Jeff Cunningham (hernia) and midfield playmaker Ronnie O'Brien (knee) for the rest of the season, joining goalkeeper Greg Sutton (concussion) on the sidelines.

Also out for Toronto was winger Andy Welsh (groin strain).

Danny Dichio (hip flexor) and defender Marvell Wynne (hamstring) both started for Toronto after missing a couple of games. Wynne started on the right side of midfield in place of the injured Welsh.

DC was missing midfielder Josh Gros (concussion), forward Luciano Emilio, who leads MLS with 14 goals this season but has a hamstring injury, and midfielder Ben Olsen (ankle).

Bolivian forward Jaime Moreno, who earlier this week scored his 109th goal to become the all-time leading scorer in MLS, entered the game at the start of the second half for DC after watching the opening 45 minutes from the bench.

Toronto's next game is on the road against FC Dallas on Sept. 8.