One of the more impressive MLS goals in a while came from Toronto FC defender/midfielder Richie Laryea Sunday night against the Columbus Crew. In the 76th minute, with Toronto up 2-1, Laryea (lined up as a defender in this one) wove through several Crew defenders and fired home from a tight angle:
That wound up being the final goal in a 3-1 win for TFC, with all three of their goals coming in the second half. And that win marked a good start to their time in their temporary home at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford. As with the Toronto Blue Jays’ relocation to Buffalo, TFC is also playing “home” games in the U.S. for the moment thanks to Canada-U.S. border restrictions.
Laryea, a 25-year-old Canadian international from Toronto, was drafted by Orlando City SC seventh overall in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft following time with the University of Akron and League1 Ontario club Sigma FC. He’s appeared in games at the MLS level since 2017, but has particularly taken a leap since joining TFC in 2019, making 28 appearances last year and 12 so far this year. This was his fourth goal this year, and there may be more to come.
[Toronto FC on Twitter; photo from David Butler II/USA Today Sports]
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.