MLS: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scores late, as Red Bulls draw Toronto FC

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Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting beat the buzzer by scoring in the eighth minute of stoppage time as the New York Red Bulls rallied for a 1-1 draw with host Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon.

Officials originally put five minutes of stoppage time on the clock, but the game was extended and New York (2-1-1, 7 points) capitalized.

After Tanner Rosborough saw a shot blocked following a corner kick, the Red Bulls kept the ball alive. Choupo-Moting then gained possession, turned around in the box and sent a right-footed shot into the upper right corner of the net by Toronto goalie Luka Gavran.

Choupo-Moting’s clutch goal gave New York coach Michael Bradley a point in his return to Toronto. The first-year coach spent nearly a decade in Toronto, scoring 16 goals in 258 games and captaining the 2017 team to the MLS Cup.

The goal capped a day when New York held possession for 63.3 percent of the contest and attempted 18 shots. It also prevented the Red Bulls from getting blanked for the second straight week after opening the season with wins over Orlando City and New England.

Ethan Horvath made five saves and denied Daniel Salloi’s attempt at a second goal a minute before the tying tally.

Gavran stopped six shots before being beaten by Choupo-Moting.

Toronto (1-2-1, 4 points) nearly beat the Red Bulls for the first time since July 2019 held a 1-0 lead when Salloi scored in the 43rd.

Salloi scored for the second straight week on a fast break in the 43rd minute on a sequence started by Gavran.

Gavran threw the ball up field to Djordje Mihailovic. From around midfield, Mihailovic cut down the right side and moved to the right side and waited for Salloi to beat a defender.

As Salloi sped into the box, Mihailovic made a clean pass. Salloi easily controlled the ball and sent a soft right-footed shot from the middle of the box by Horvath.

Toronto also unveiled Josh Sargent after signing the forward to a five-year contract on Feb. 27. Sargent entered the contest in the 70th and was stopped by Horvath in the 86th.

–Field Level Media