Josh Sargent's First Toronto FC Goal Caps 3-2 Comeback Over Colorado in a Three-Red-Card Thriller

Three red cards, two VAR upgrades, an own goal, 12 minutes of added time and a comeback from two goals down. Toronto FC and the Colorado Rapids crammed an entire season of chaos into one Saturday afternoon at BMO Field.

When the dust settled, Toronto had a 3-2 win and Josh Sargent had his first Toronto FC goal. Paxten Aaronson and Keegan Rosenberry put Colorado up 2-0 early in the second half, but Richie Laryea, a Zack Steffen own goal and Sargent's 85th-minute header flipped the result. Toronto moves to 3-1-2 with 10 points, while Colorado drops to 3-0-3 with 9.

A Quiet Half Until It Wasn't

For half an hour, this was a normal soccer game. Steffen saved from Dániel Sallói inside the first minute and from Alonso Coello in the 12th, Sargent missed narrowly from the right side of the six-yard box, and Luka Gavran stopped a long shot from Rafael Navarro in the 18th.

Then VAR got involved. In the 33rd minute, a card for Colorado's Jackson Travis was upgraded after review, and he was sent off in the 35th. The AP said the red came for a foul on Raheem Edwards. To make matters worse for the Rapids, Dante Sealy left with an injury a minute later, and Rosenberry came on in his place. Remember that substitution.

Colorado survived the rest of the half with 10 men, and Gavran had to save from Aaronson right before the break. It was 0-0 at halftime.

Everything Happens at Once

Four minutes into the second half, VAR flipped the numbers back. Edwards' card was upgraded and he was sent off in the 49th minute, with the AP and the Rapids both saying it was for a foul on Wayne Frederick. The Rapids' recap described Frederick as alone on goal at the time.

Colorado pounced. Aaronson stepped up to the resulting free kick in the 51st minute and drove a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner. Three minutes later, Rosenberry, the injury replacement, smashed home a right-footed finish from the middle of the box for 2-0. Per the Rapids, it was Aaronson's third goal of the season and Rosenberry's first of the season and the 12th of his MLS career.

Toronto head coach Robin Fraser reshuffled, bringing on Matheus Pereira in the 52nd minute and Zane Monlouis for Walker Zimmerman in the 56th. The comeback started in the 65th minute. Sargent teed up Laryea on the right, and the fullback struck a right-footed shot from a difficult angle and long range into the top right corner. A ridiculous finish in a ridiculous game.

Colorado then lost its composure. Miguel Navarro, already booked for a handball in the 64th minute, picked up a second yellow in the 74th and left the Rapids with nine men. Three minutes later, Steffen was credited with an own goal, and it was 2-2.

Sargent's Big Moment

Toronto smelled it. Sallói forced Steffen into a save in the 82nd minute, and Toronto won a corner in the 84th. Coello delivered it, and Sargent rose in the middle of the box to head into the bottom right corner in the 85th. The AP noted it was Coello's first assist of the season.

"Big relief. It's been a while since I've scored," Sargent said, per MLSsoccer.com.

The rest of the match, including the 12 minutes of announced added time, was mostly one-way traffic, with Emilio Aristizábal and Sallói missing chances to put it away.

Who Delivered

Sargent's afternoon had everything: an assist, a winner, four shots and one big release of pressure. MLSsoccer.com noted he was making only his third appearance for Toronto after a reported $22 million transfer from Norwich City. Fraser was effusive.

"Josh is good at everything that you need a forward to be good at," Fraser said, per MLSsoccer.com.

Laryea's goal changed the energy in the building, and Coello set up the winner and put his only shot on target. Sallói was the busiest attacker with three shots, two on target.

For Colorado, Aaronson was dangerous all afternoon, and the Rapids said his goal was his fourth goal contribution in his last four appearances. Steffen made three saves but will not enjoy rewatching the own goal.

The Turning Point

The 74th minute. Colorado was still ahead 2-1 when Navarro's second yellow left the Rapids with nine men. Toronto now had 10 men against nine, and within 11 minutes the game had swung from a Rapids lead to a Toronto win. You can survive one red card. Two is asking for trouble.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Toronto 17, Colorado 5. On target, it was 5 to 4.
• Possession: Toronto held 54.1% of the ball.
• Red cards: Colorado 2, Toronto 1.
• Clearances: Colorado cleared the ball 37 times to Toronto's 8.
• Corners: Toronto earned 7 corners to Colorado's 4, and the last one decided the match.

What It Means

Toronto is on a roll. MLSsoccer.com noted the club has back-to-back home wins and is unbeaten in four, and this was the third match of a nine-game homestand. FC Cincinnati visits next Saturday.

"One of the reasons why we were able to deal with all these swings is because of the maturity of the group, because I can't prescribe everything, and I certainly can't talk to everyone as the situations change," Fraser said.

Colorado ends a three-match road trip, per the AP, with a frustrating loss. The Rapids are 3-0-3 through six games and host Houston Dynamo FC on Saturday, April 11.

Closing Take

Some games are tactical chess matches. This one was a reality show with a referee monitor as the confessional booth. Toronto kept its head when Colorado lost its own, and Sargent summed up the mood perfectly: "We're a team that refuses to give up. I think that was very evident today, even in a very strange game and weird circumstances."

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by MLSsoccer.com; additional details from the AP recap via ESPN and the Colorado Rapids.