Luka Gavran Denies Hennadii Synchuk as CF Montréal, Toronto FC Play 0-0 401 Derby

Hennadii Synchuk did not need long to test Luka Gavran. In the first minute at Stade Saputo, the CF Montréal forward got his left foot to a Samuel Piette pass inside the box, and the Toronto FC goalkeeper got down to make the save. Synchuk kept coming all night, firing six shots in all. Gavran kept answering.

CF Montréal and Toronto FC played to a 0-0 draw on Thursday night in the latest edition of the 401 Derby, in front of 17,707 fans. Toronto's club recap framed it as their return from the World Cup break, and it was an evening of plenty of effort, a lot of blocked shots and not much end product. Montréal did most of the pushing. Toronto did most of the surviving. Nobody won.

A Cagey Derby That Never Caught Fire

The early minutes belonged to Montréal. After Gavran's first-minute stop, Synchuk dragged a shot high and wide in the third minute and missed again from the right side of the box in the 10th, with Victor Loturi also needing treatment in between. Toronto's first attempt came in the seventh minute, when Derrick Etienne Jr. had a shot from the middle of the box blocked.

From there, the first half turned into a wall-building contest. Dawid Bugaj, Daniel Ríos, Matthew Longstaff and Synchuk all had shots blocked before the break, and Toronto's best looks went the same way. Jackson Gilman's header off an Alonso Coello cross was blocked in the 24th minute, and Theo Corbeanu sent a shot high and wide in the 34th. Gilman tried again from distance in the 42nd minute and was blocked again. One minute of added time later, it was 0-0.

Toronto's lineup had a few new wrinkles. Richie Laryea wore the captain's armband with Jonathan Osorio suspended for yellow card accumulation, according to the club, and Corbeanu, back from injury, was making his first start since Toronto's season finale against Orlando City last October.

Gavran Holds the Line

Montréal came out of the break with intent, though they were flagged offside twice in the first five minutes of the half. Longstaff had a shot blocked in the 56th minute, and Laryea fired over for Toronto in the 59th. Both coaches then went to their benches. Montréal sent on Fabian Herbers and Dani Pereira on the hour, and Robin Fraser answered with Jules-Anthony Vilsaint and Malik Henry. The Reds said it was Vilsaint's 50th MLS appearance, split between Montréal and Toronto.

The hosts' best spell followed. In the 66th minute Ríos teed up Synchuk on the right side of the box, and Gavran kept out his left-footed shot aimed at the bottom right corner. Synchuk had another effort blocked a minute later, Longstaff fired over off a corner, and in the 72nd minute Brayan Vera's header from a Synchuk cross was blocked. Then, in the 77th minute, Synchuk turned provider for Ríos, whose shot from outside the box was heading for the bottom right corner until Gavran got there. Toronto's recap called it a crucial save, and that undersells how much it mattered.

Toronto had a couple of late looks of their own. Vilsaint fired over from distance in the 86th minute, Gilman headed a Coello set piece high and wide a minute later, and Dániel Sallói sent one over the bar in stoppage time. None of them troubled Thomas Gillier.

The Players Who Mattered

Luka Gavran was the best player on the field. He made three saves, on Synchuk in the first minute, Synchuk again in the 66th and Ríos in the 77th, and Toronto said it was the club's second clean sheet of the 2026 MLS season.

Hennadii Synchuk was Montréal's most dangerous player by a wide margin. He took six shots, put two on target and set up two more chances, including Ríos's late effort and Vera's header. He just could not solve Gavran.

Matthew Longstaff kept Montréal ticking in midfield and took three shots, though none of them reached the target.

Jackson Gilman was the busiest Red in the attacking third, taking three shots. Like the rest of his teammates, he never forced Gillier into a save.

Walker Zimmerman and the Toronto back three deserve a nod too. Montréal attempted 22 crosses and completed just two.

The Turning Point

The 77th minute. Montréal had pinned Toronto back for most of the previous 15 minutes, and when Ríos let fly from outside the box, it looked like the breakthrough the home crowd had been waiting for. Gavran's save kept the score level, Ríos came off moments later for Owen Graham-Roache, and the hosts never generated another shot on target.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Montréal 14, Toronto 8.
• Shots on target: Montréal 3, Toronto 0. Gillier did not have to make a save.
• Possession: Basically a coin flip, 50.2 percent to 49.8 in Montréal's favor.
• Corners: Montréal earned nine to Toronto's three.
• Interceptions: Toronto made 11 to Montréal's three.

What It Means

Both clubs are now on 15 points. Montréal sit at 4-3-8, and the clean sheet was their first since a 2-0 win over Orlando City on May 9, after they had conceded eight goals across their last three matches before the break. The next test is a trip to Nashville on Wednesday, July 22, before Inter Miami visit Stade Saputo on Saturday, July 25.

Toronto move to 3-6-6. The point snapped a three-match losing streak, but the Reds are now winless in nine regular-season matches, a run that stretches back to April 4. With zero shots on target, the attack remains the issue. Up next is a trip to New England on Wednesday, July 22.

The Closing Take

Derbies are supposed to be fireworks. This one was more like a sparkler that never quite lit: lots of noise, plenty of smoke and not much to show for it. Montréal will rue the chances, Toronto will happily take the clean sheet, and Gavran will take the bows.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Additional match details as reported by Toronto FC and CF Montréal.