TORONTO – For the second game in a row, Minnesota scored three goals but failed to come away with maximum points. Darwin Quintero scored twice and Angelo Rodriguez also found the back of the net in Toronto on Friday night, but it was not enough as the Loons fell 4-3 at BMO Field.
The loss comes on the heels of a 3-3 draw against New York City FC last Saturday.
"It's disappointing," said Loons coach Adrian Heath. "I'm trying to look for some positives, and the positives to me would be the fact that we played against one of the best teams in the league and for long [stretches] we controlled possession. I thought we looked very good going forward, we've got a good shape about us, but we conceded poor goals again."
Toronto forward Jordan Hamilton, who entered the game in the 73rd minute, scored twice to erase a 3-2 Minnesota lead. With the loss, Minnesota (3-3-1) failed to pick up at least a point for the first time since its March 30 loss in New England. Goalkeeper Vito Mannone made three saves.
"We worked so hard, we fought so hard to get back into the game — not only to get the equalizer but then to take the lead [only to lose it], yeah, it's not fun," said defender Brent Kallman. "We've got to be better, we've got to do a better job of being professional and closing out the game."
Quintero, who has been bothered by a groin injury in recent weeks, opened the scoring in the 16th minute, heading a long pass from Jan Gregus over goalkeeper Alex Bono and then putting his shot into a wide open net.
Alejandro Pozuelo responded with two quick strikes for Toronto.
In the 28th minute the Spaniard used some fancy footwork to get around Michael Boxall, then beat Mannone for his third of the season, tying the game 1-1. The Reds midfielder found the back of the net again two minutes later, beating Mannone off a cross from Justin Morrow.
"We weren't set up correctly and the ball popped out, we were attacking their box, the ball popped out to him, starts to counter, he makes a great 1-v-1 goal, fantastic goal and then he was into the game from there," Kallman said.
"It was kind of us — we fell asleep on him. He pulled off that great goal and then he was great for the rest of the game."
Rodriguez evened the score 2-2, putting a header off a Romain Metanire cross past Bono in the 57th minute.
Minnesota was awarded a penalty kick in the 69th minute after Rodriguez was taken down in the area by Chris Mavinga. On the ensuing penalty kick, Quintero netted his second of the evening and fifth of the season.
Gregus received a straight red card for his challenge on Pozuelo in the 89th minute. Then in the 90th, Francisco Calvo was shown a red card after picking up his second yellow of the evening.
"I have to see the first one," Heath said. "I don't know how bad it was, but Francisco can't do something silly like that. He didn't really give the referee much choice. I'll have to see Jan's again."
