Lewis Morgan, Djordje Mihailovic Strike in Stoppage Time as Toronto FC Stun CF Montréal 2-1

For more than 90 minutes on Saturday afternoon, CF Montréal had the 401 Derby in their pocket. Then Toronto FC's bench took over. Lewis Morgan volleyed home in the third minute of stoppage time, and two minutes later Djordje Mihailovic swept in the winner, two goals in 116 seconds by Toronto's count.

That finish gave Toronto a 2-1 win over their fiercest rivals in front of 21,572 at BMO Field and snapped a three-game losing streak. It also came with a backup goalkeeper making his club debut, a former Montréal player scoring the winner and a yellow card for celebrating too hard. Rivalry games are supposed to be chaotic. This one overdelivered.

A Goalkeeper Change Nobody Planned For

Toronto started brightly. Theo Corbeanu fired just wide on a fifth-minute break, and Sébastian Breza had to make two saves in the 11th minute, first on Dániel Sallói from a tight angle and then on Matheus Pereira.

Then the hosts lost their goalkeeper. According to the AP, Luka Gavran hurt his leg in a 15th-minute collision with Montréal captain Prince Owusu. He tried to carry on, but William Yarbrough replaced him in the 23rd minute for his first appearance for the club.

Yarbrough's first real test came in the 36th, when Alexis Sánchez let fly from outside the box, and he held it. Montréal finished the half stronger, with Daniel Ríos firing wide and Brayan Vera's header blocked in stoppage time, but it was 0-0 at the break.

Ríos Strikes, Montréal Dig In

The visitors broke through six minutes into the second half. Yarbrough saved Matty Longstaff's shot from the right side of the box, but Ríos was there to bury the rebound in the 51st minute. The AP said it was his sixth goal of the season.

For the next half hour, Montréal looked more likely to get a second than Toronto did to find an equalizer. Yarbrough denied a Vera header in the 54th minute, a Sánchez drive in the 59th, another Vera shot in the 77th and a Fabian Herbers effort in the 79th.

Toronto head coach Robin Fraser went to his bench. Mihailovic replaced Jonathan Osorio in the 61st minute in his first appearance since Sept. 5, per the club, after a spell out injured. Morgan came on for Alonso Coello in the 82nd. Breza had stopped Corbeanu in the 69th, and Mihailovic headed wide in the 85th, so the comeback did not exactly feel inevitable.

The Turning Point

In the 80th minute, Owusu hit the right post from the middle of the box. A second Montréal goal there would have put the game away. Instead, the door stayed open just wide enough.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Richie Laryea took a short throw, Niklas Dorsch sent a first-time cross toward the far post, and Morgan cushioned a left-footed volley into the bottom right corner from the left side of the six-yard box. Two minutes later, Laryea sprang Corbeanu down the right, and Corbeanu's low ball was redirected in by Mihailovic from close range. Laryea was then booked for excessive celebration, which is about the most understandable yellow card of the season.

The Bench Mob Delivers

Djordje Mihailovic came off the bench to score the winner against the club he played for in 2021 and 2022, per MLS. He did not hold back. "Now I've scored on both sides of this derby. It feels good," he said, according to MLSsoccer.com. He also tried to be diplomatic: "I enjoyed my time in Montréal, but now I play for Toronto, and I give everything for Toronto against the rival now." Toronto said the goal was his eighth goal contribution of the MLS season.

Lewis Morgan scored with his only shot. MLS said it was his first goal for Toronto, which acquired him from San Diego FC last month, and his first regular-season goal since October 2024. Toronto said he became the ninth different player to score for the club this season.

William Yarbrough made six saves after entering cold in the first half. Theo Corbeanu set up the winner, and Niklas Dorsch recorded his first assist for Toronto, according to the club.

For Montréal, Brayan Vera put two of his three shots on target from center back, and Alexis Sánchez forced two saves before he was subbed off in the 72nd minute.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Montréal outshot Toronto 16-14 and put seven on target to Toronto's five.
• Saves: Yarbrough made six off the bench. Breza made three.
• Crosses: Toronto attempted 28 crosses to Montréal's 14, and two late ones decided the game.
• Clearances: Montréal made 30, a measure of how long they held out.
• Fouls: Montréal committed 17 to Toronto's nine.

What It Means

Toronto improve to 7-11-10 (wins, draws, losses) with 32 points. The AP said the win extended their home unbeaten streak to five matches, and Toronto said they are unbeaten in six straight regular-season meetings with Montréal, with four wins and two draws since May 18, 2024. MLS noted the Reds are four points shy of the Eastern Conference's ninth and final playoff spot with six games left, starting Wednesday at home against Orlando City.

Mihailovic knows what that means. "We're slowly trying to creep up into that last playoff spot. Two more games at home, we need them."

CF Montréal fall to 6-6-16 with 24 points after arriving on the back of a 3-1 win over Cincinnati. The teams drew 0-0 in Montréal in July. Next up for Montréal is a home date with Atlanta United on Wednesday.

The Closing Take

Montréal played the better soccer for long stretches, outshot their hosts and hit the post. None of it mattered, because rivalry games do not care about the run of play. Toronto turned the final five minutes into a plot twist so abrupt that M. Night Shyamalan would ask them to tone it down.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by MLSsoccer.com. Additional details from Toronto FC, CF Montréal and the AP.