The Black & Gold looked to change the tide after a rough start to the season, in which late goal concessions and missed near chances have become all too familiar. But despite a commanding start against Toronto FC, the Crew fizzled out; an 83rd-minute winner got the better of a Crew side that now remains winless in five matches to open the MLS season.

The Black & Gold got off to a hot start early, getting the go-ahead goal in the 4th minute to break a two-game scoreless spell. A laser left-footed pass by Dylan Chambost from the Crew’s own half started a counterattack as he drilled the ball down the left flank to Max Arfsten, who had space to roam and took it. Arfsten lofted in a left-footed cross that curled just out of Luka Gavran’s reach. Wessam Abou Ali, awaiting the ball in the penalty area, rose above two defenders and directed a curling header into the top right corner of the net to break the deadlock early. 

Toronto looked to rebound quickly and got close just two minutes later. A high, long cross sent in from the left from Raheem Edwards deflected and fell into the path of Josh Sargent, who lurked in from the right post. Sargent tried to tuck it into the net at a tight angle while sprinting to keep the ball in play, but his shot flew horizontally into Schulte’s gloves.

As the close of the half neared, Toronto came agonizingly close to leveling the score. In the 40th minute, Sargent won a header from a corner kick and struck the ball into the air toward the middle of the net, but Malte Amundsen tracked back to the goal line just in time to head away the danger.

Just a minute later, Edwards sprang onto an outward Crew clearance with an acrobatic “karate kick,” striking the ball toward the bottom left corner and forcing a diving save from Schulte.

In the 44th minute, a poor giveaway at the back gifted the home side an opportunity at goal. Schulte played a short pass to Andre Gomes, who attempted to pass the ball first-time to Sean Zawadzki, but didn’t get enough weight on the ball. Jonathan Osorio was quick to intercept, cutting the ball to Dániel Sallói, whose shot fell just wide of the left post.

At the break, the Black & Gold had a slight advantage in possession (56%), but had fewer opportunities than their opponents (2 shots vs 8 shots, 0.28 xG vs 0.93 xG). The Crew looked strong on the counter, with Arfsten, Gomes, and Abou Ali connecting well, but Toronto was often quick to close down any threat, despite the Crew getting into good areas.

The Black & Gold showed how narrow margins can be as Diego Rossi struck the post in the 52nd minute. Andre Gomes started a counterattack in the Crew’s half, carrying the ball smoothly before guiding it through to Taha Habroune on the right side of the pitch. Habroune cut back to Rossi, who dribbled past two defenders before firing a right-footed shot from the right side of the six-yard box into the left post.

Minutes later, the home side leveled the score. Sallói delivered a left-footed cross from the right corner of the pitch, the ball making its way through the 18-yard box untouched. Jose Cifuentes controlled the ball with his right foot before slotting it toward the middle right of the net past Schulte. 

In the 83rd minute, the fallout from a long Edwards throw gave the home side a remarkable chance on goal from distance. As the Crew backline headed the ball out of the penalty area, it fell to Djordje Mihailovic, who struck the ball on the half volley powerfully toward the top right area of the goal. Schulte stood tall to tip the ball over the crossbar with his left glove and out of play.

Unfortunately for the Black & Gold, Toronto capitalized on the resulting corner. Taken by Mihailovic, Walker Zimmerman towered over Jamal Thiaré to thump a header into the bottom left corner of the net to give Toronto a 2-1 lead.

Winless in five

With the 2-1 loss, the Black & Gold remain winless in 2026, with two draws and three losses to start the season. Despite putting in one of their strongest performances of the season and more near misses brewing frustration, the Crew remains in 14th in the Eastern Conference and faces an uphill battle after the international break.

Black & Gold back on the scoresheet

After two scoreless matches against Chicago Fire and Nashville SC in the previous two fixtures, the Black & Gold were back to scoring ways against Toronto FC. Abou Ali’s opener in the 4th minute marked his 3rd goal of the season and a much-needed end to his team’s undesired streak. While the result doesn’t reflect it, the team looked confident on the ball, particularly in the first half, and produced strong counterattacks and connected well in the final third. What remains to be seen is how Henrik Rydström’s side will bounce back on the pitch and mentally to close out matches.

The Black & Gold play their next match away from home, after the international break, on Saturday, April 4th at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match is available to stream on Apple TV.