Second-half goals lift FC Cincinnati to 2-0 win over winless Toronto FC

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CINCINNATI — Second-half goals by Kevin Denkey and Yuya Kubo lifted FC Cincinnati to a 2-0 win over Toronto FC in Major League Soccer play Saturday.

Opening the season with three straight games on the road, Toronto (0-2-1) has conceded eight goals with new coach Robin Fraser yet to celebrate a win.

Cincinnati (2-1-0) led most of the dance in the first half with 64.4 per cent possession, outshooting Toronto 6-1 (3-0 in shots on target). But Toronto, which had conceded six goals in its first two games, held out for almost 70 minutes.

Cincinnati appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty in the 69th minute when a cross by Brazil’s Evander hit Tyrese Spicer’s arm in the penalty box. But after an intervention by the video assistant referee and a trip to the pitchside monitor, referee Ismir Pekmic pointed to the spot.

Spicer, who had had a good game up until then, was trying to block the ball with his body but instead it hit his upper arm.

Denkey, a Togo international who led the top-flight Belgian league with 34 goals over the last two seasons with Cercle Brugge, converted the penalty and now has recorded a goal in five of his first six matches for Cincinnati.

A second Cincinnati goal, by Kubo in the 78th, was waved off for offside. But the Japanese international doubled the lead in the 88th minute, put in alone on a rapid-fire counter-attack.

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Toronto was missing injured defenders Richie Laryea, Raoul Petretta, Sigurd Rosted and Henry Wingo. To make up the numbers, the club signed TFC 2 defender Reid Fisher, taken in the first round (23rd overall) out of San Diego State, to a short-term contract.

Fraser made six changes to his starting 11, inserting Spicer, Nicksoen Gomis, Kosi Thompson, Matty Longstaff and handing Norwegian striker Ola Brynhildsen and 20-year-old English defender Zane Monlouis their first starts.

Once again there was no place in the Toronto matchday squad for out-of-favour Italian star Lorenzo Insigne.

Saturday’s game was sandwiched between CONCACAF Champions Cup round-of-16 contests against Mexico’s Tigres for Cincinnati, which is in the midst of a congested stretch of eight games in 24 days. Cincinnati plays at Tigres on Tuesday after the teams drew 1-1 last Tuesday.

Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan made four changes to his lineup.

Cincinnati controlled play from the start and came close in the 13th minute, after a turnover by Federico Bernardeschi, on a long-range shot from Kubo.

A foul against Cincinnati saved Toronto in the 28th minute, negating a goal by Kubo after he hit the post and knocked home his own rebound. The home side came close again in the 31st on a counter-attack, after an errant pass by Monlouis, but was unable to get a foot to a low cross in front of goal.

Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson made a diving one-handed save to deny a curling shot by Argentine forward Lucas Orellano in the 39th minute with Corey Baird knocking the rebound against the goalpost. Two minute later, Johnson stopped a Kubo shot.

Brynhildsen, who was withdrawn at the break due to a lack of match fitness, did not get much service but looked lively in his 45 minutes.

Toronto’s first shot on target came in the 47th minute from Thompson, after a fine run by Spicer, but it did not trouble Cincinnati ‘keeper Roman Celentano.

Toronto threatened again in the 52nd minute on another lung-busting run from Spicer but his cross was cleared. At the other end, Johnson got a hand to an Orellano shot in the 60th minute.

Defender Lazar Stefanovic, 18, came on in the 74th minute for Toronto. Monlouis came off soon after, following treatment on the field.

Toronto, which opened the season with a 2-2 draw at D.C. United, was coming off a 4-2 loss at Orlando. Cincinnati defeated the visiting New York Red Bulls 1-0 and then lost 4-1 at Philadelphia.

Cincinnati improved to 8-4-1 all-time against TFC, the club’s most wins against any club in regular season play. Noonan is 6-0-1 against Toronto with Cincinnati.

Up next, Toronto returns home for its home opener next Saturday against the Chicago Fire.