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TORONTO — Lewis Morgan scored three goals in the first half and the Red Bulls cruised to a 4-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday.
Aaron Long scored the other goal for the Red Bulls (2-0-0) and Patryk Klimala had three assists.
Jesus Jimenez scored for Toronto (0-1-1) in the home debut of coach Bob Bradley.
The Red Bulls went ahead in the 17th minute against the run of play when Jonathan Osorio lost the ball near midfield. Frankie Amaya accelerated past Michael Bradley, Bob’s son, and found Klimala, who sent the ball over to an unmarked Morgan in the middle of the penalty box. The winger’s curling shot beat goalkeeper Alex Bono.
In the 24th minute, Morgan beat Bono low to the corner from just outside the penalty box on what was essentially a two-on-one. Klimala played provider again.
Jimenez cut the lead to one in the 35th minute after a slashing run by Luca Petrasso carved open the Red Bulls defense. Jimenez dribbled past onrushing goalkeeper Carlos Coronel and slotted the ball past two defenders for his first MLS goal.
“The mentality has never been in question… When they scored, we were able to score again, that happened last week as well in San Jose, and these are away from home,” Morgan said. “So the team has great character and we are a young group. We’re all hungry to do well. In football, you have to start somewhere, experience comes from somewhere. I’m obviously one of the older heads in the team, but I know and trust every single team member I have.”
Morgan completed his hat trick in the 40th minute on another counterattack after a Toronto corner. Klimala bodied Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty out of the way near midfield and then muscled past Jacob Shaffelburg, setting up a two-on-zero that Morgan finished.
It was 4-1 two minutes later as Amaya’s free kick found an unmarked Long, whose header beat Bono.
Defender Carlos Salcedo was yellow-carded in the 61st minute for a nasty lunging challenge on Klimala deep in Toronto territory.
The score could have been more lopsided had Bono not made several big saves in the second half. Morgan was ruled outside in the 87th minute on what would have been his fourth goal.
“That’s kind of a dream game for us when we’re coming on the road to a tough place to play, tough conditions into a team’s home opener,” Long said. “You can’t ask for more than that as a group to respond like that and to not only win the fight, but to put some quality together and score four goals on the road is big time. It just gives the group more confidence. Lewis [Morgan] had an amazing day.”
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