CARSON, California (AP) - Toronto won a Major League Soccer postseason game for the first time in its history and the more playoff-familiar Los Angeles also won on Wednesday to progress to the final eight.
Los Angeles won 3-1 at home against Real Salt Lake, led by two goals from Emmanuel Boateng, while Toronto defeated Philadelphia by the same score.
Los Angeles will play Colorado in the first game of the two-leg Western Conference semifinals Sunday. Salt Lake lost its final six road games.
Alan Gordon, who made his first start in the playoffs after 15 appearances as a substitute, opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Landon Donovan, making his first start since coming out of retirement, crossed it and Giovani dos Santos’ glancing header found Gordon wide open at the far post. It was Donovan’s 15th playoff assist, which set a MLS record.
Boateng made it 2-1 in the 26th minute when he dribbled through several defenders at the top of the box and scored with the outside of his foot. He scored his fourth goal of the season - strangely, all against RSL - in the 34th minute by curling in a shot from a difficult angle.
RSL scored in the 21st minute on Joao Plata’s penalty after Javier Morales went down easily in the penalty area. In the 85th, Kyle Beckerman had an open header hit the crossbar.
Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco had a goal and two assists in the 3-1 victory over Philadelphia.
Jonathan Osorio and Jozy Altidore also scored for Toronto, which will host Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal against New York City.
Alejandro Bedoya scored for the Union.
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