New York City FC’s sluggish start to the MLS season continued on Saturday as the reigning Major League Soccer champions crashed to a 2-1 defeat in Toronto. A Jesus Jimenez strike and a headed own goal from Thiago Martins were enough to secure all three points for former USA coach Bob Bradley’s Toronto FC side at BMO Field.The defending champions have only taken four points from a possible 15 since the start of the season and are languishing in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. It was an inauspicious performance from New York, who take on the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League semi-finals..@TorontoFC takes care of business at home! 🍁 pic.twitter.com/zM6SiA437n— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 2, 2022 City started Saturday’s game brightly but were rocked after Jimenez opened the scoring against the run of play on 31 minutes. Canadian international Jonathan Osorio’s pass played in Spanish striker Jimenez, who stroked home his third goal of the season past City goalkeeper Sean Johnson. Toronto doubled their lead just before halftime after Alejandro Pozuelo’s free-kick was inadvertently glanced by Martins into his own net.Brazilian substitute Heber scored a consolation for New York deep into stoppage time to make it 2-1 but it was too little too late.The struggle continued for David Beckham’s Inter Miami, who lost 3-1 at home to Houston Dynamo and dropped to last place in the East with just one point from a possible 15. Colombian Darwin Quintero scored for Houston in the 49th minute and American Fafa Picault completed the win with a penalty in the 57th minute and a goal in injury time. Veteran Gonzalo Higuain converted a penalty for Inter in the 66th minute. Houston snapped a 26-game winless streak on the road that dated back to 2020.Gonzalo Higuaín converts the penalty kick for #InterMiamiCF and it’s game on! pic.twitter.com/H4Wx8ppzcH— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 3, 2022 Elsewhere, Montreal bagged their first win of the season with a thrilling 4-3 win over Cincinnati. Brandon Vazquez and an Alistair Johnston own goal gave Cincinnati a 2-1 lead after Dorde Mihailovic’s 17th-minute goal for Montreal. Mihailovic equalized in the 41st minute before Kei Kamara put the Canadians 3-2 up on the stroke of half-time. Luciano Acosta’s 61st-minute penalty levelled it for Cincinnati before Montreal hit back with a 67th-minute winner from Joaquin Torres.Los Angeles FC extended their strong start to the season with a 4-2 victory over Orlando City. With goals from Brian Rodriguez, Jesus Murillo, Ilie Sanchez and Kwadwo Opoku, LAFC seized the lead in the Western Conference with 13 points from five matches. Alexandre Pato and Joao Moutinho scored for Orlando.
