Toronto FC II jumped to second in the Eastern Conference following a 2-1 road win over Rochester New York FC Friday evening at Monroe Community College.
The Canadian side is now unbeaten in its last nine matches including four straight wins in which it scored nine goals and only conceded twice.
RNY FC, on the other hand, dropped to fourth in the East after only managing to get one point in its last three matches and could sink below the playoff line after the weekend's action has concluded.
Second-half TFC II substitute Reshaun Walkes scored his third goal in two matches and the winning goal in the 76th minute after finishing a quick counter attack that split open the RNYFC backline.
Prior to that, TFC II swarmed the RNY FC box to open the scoring within fifteen minutes in the first half with a goal from midfielder Nakye Greenidge-Duncan at point blank.
The team finished the game with five shots on target, three more than the home side managed.
Despite ultimately losing, RNYFC battled until the final whistle.
After a disappointing first half, the home side leveled the game at 1-1 following a leaping header from forward Gibran Rayo to mark his 11th goal of the season.
RNYFC pressed TFC II late into the game to find another equalizer, but fell short and dropped a vital three points with six games remaining in the season.
The Story: Toronto FC II stay hot in Eastern Conference playoff race
With only a few games left to spare in the season to secure a playoff berth, many clubs would find the pressure overwhelming — but not Toronto FC II.
The Canadian side is now riding a nine-match unbeaten run that includes four consecutive wins which has catapulted them to second in the Eastern Conference.
Forward Reshaun Walkes netted another goal, making it three in two matches for the instant-offense substitute. Midfielder Nakye Greenidge-Duncan also scored and as a whole, TFC II looked the better side most of the game.
Despite being on the road, TFC II found a way to limit the opposition’s chances and controlled the midfielder to create opportunities on the break.
With only six games left in the season and several clubs vying for a playoff spot, TFC II may ramp it up even more to truly contend in the East.
