Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's Stoppage-Time Equalizer Earns Red Bulls 1-1 Draw in Toronto FC's Home Opener

Toronto FC had the big debut, the first-half lead and the goalkeeper of the day. Then one last Red Bull New York corner bounced around the box, landed for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and the home opener ended with a groan instead of a party.

"It was like a slow motion goal a little bit, but a nice one," Choupo-Moting said afterward. His right-footed finish into the top right corner in the seventh minute of stoppage time earned the Red Bulls a 1-1 draw at BMO Field on Saturday afternoon, canceling out Dániel Sallói's first-half goal in front of 18,767 fans at what Toronto called its 2026 MLS home opener.

Gavran Builds a Wall

For most of the first half, this was Red Bull New York attacking and Luka Gavran saying no. Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty forced a save in the 12th minute, Justin Che's header from very close range off an Emil Forsberg cross was stopped in the 13th, and Robert Voloder had a header and a follow-up blocked a minute later. Gavran then denied Jorge Ruvalcaba in the 19th and Julian Hall, played through by Che, in the 25th.

Toronto's attack came in flashes. Djordje Mihailovic tested Ethan Horvath from outside the box in the 24th minute and again from the center of the box in the 39th, the same minute Walker Zimmerman had a header from a Mihailovic cross blocked. Matthew Dos Santos was booked for a handball, Voloder for a foul and José Cifuentes for one of his own, and the game had an edge.

Then Toronto struck. In the 43rd minute, Mihailovic set up Sallói, whose right-footed shot from the center of the box went in through the middle of the goal. Toronto said the move started with a long ball from Gavran and credited its goalkeeper with the first assist of his Toronto career, though ESPN lists only Mihailovic. The club also said it was Sallói's second straight match with a goal after his winner at Cincinnati the week before.

The Red Bulls Lay Siege

Robin Fraser made two changes at halftime, sending on Derrick Etienne Jr. and Deandre Kerr for Zane Monlouis and Emilio Aristizábal. Red Bull New York, meanwhile, kept coming. Forsberg sent a shot just wide in the 53rd minute, Marshall-Rutty missed to the left in the 56th, and Gavran stopped a Forsberg shot from distance in the 57th.

The home fans got their first look at Josh Sargent in the 70th, when he replaced Cifuentes for what Toronto said was his club and MLS debut. A minute later he had a shot from very close range blocked, and in the 86th Kerr played him in for a shot that Horvath saved. MLS noted Sargent joined from Norwich City for a reported $22 million transfer last month.

"He looked like a very, very experienced player," Toronto head coach Robin Fraser said. "I'm very excited about Josh and what he's going to be for this club."

At the other end, Toronto captain Jonathan Osorio blocked a Forsberg shot in the 71st, and Gavran saved from substitute Tanner Rosborough in the 84th before Ruvalcaba and Che had shots blocked in the 85th. A VAR check for a possible Red Bulls penalty in the 80th came back with no penalty. Toronto lost Raheem Edwards to an injury in the 82nd, and the Red Bulls lost Che to one in stoppage time, with Tim Parker coming on for his first appearance of the season, per the club.

The Turning Point: Horvath's Double Save

Toronto had the chance to end it in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Sallói was denied by Horvath from a tight angle on the right, then fired again from the right side of the box after a Richie Laryea pass and was stopped a second time.

Within a minute, the Red Bulls won a corner. Rosborough had a shot blocked, the ball stayed alive, and Choupo-Moting, who had come on in the 77th minute, pounced. 1-1. The Red Bulls said it was the fifth-latest goal in club history.

"All of us, we knew it's maybe our last action in the game," Choupo-Moting said.

Star Watch

Gavran made seven saves and deserved a win. Horvath made five, and the two in stoppage time kept the door open for the equalizer. Sallói put all three of his shots on target and scored one, and Mihailovic, who had three shots of his own, picked up what Toronto called his first assist of the campaign.

Choupo-Moting needed one shot to change the result. His head coach, Michael Bradley, was back at BMO Field for the first time since playing the final match of his professional career in October 2023, according to Toronto, which noted he is a former TFC captain.

"His experience, his quality, his ability to score goals is still at such a high level," Bradley said of Choupo-Moting.

Laryea also hit a milestone, making his 150th appearance for Toronto. The club said he is the 10th player in its history to get there.

Stats That Matter

• Possession: Red Bulls 67.7 percent, Toronto 32.3 percent.
• Shots: Red Bulls 17 with 8 on target; Toronto 12 with 6 on target.
• Saves: Gavran 7, Horvath 5.
• Corners: Red Bulls 11, Toronto 5.
• Passing: Red Bulls completed 508 of 590 passes; Toronto completed 197 of 287.

What It Means

Red Bull New York is 2-1-1 with 7 points after wins at Orlando City and at home over New England, a 3-0 home loss to CF Montréal last weekend and this late point. The club said the draw extended its unbeaten streak against Toronto to 14 matches, and the AP put that run at nine wins and five draws dating to 2019. The Red Bulls visit Charlotte FC next Saturday.

Toronto is 1-1-2 with 4 points after losses at FC Dallas and Vancouver, a 1-0 win at Cincinnati and this draw. The club said its record in MLS home openers moves to 9W-7L-4T across its first 20 seasons. The Columbus Crew visit BMO Field next Saturday.

Closing Take

Toronto wrote a pretty good script for its home opener: big-money striker debuts, Sallói scores for a second straight week, the goalkeeper stands on his head. The Red Bulls just added the post-credits scene. For a club that has not lost to Toronto in 14 tries, there was something inevitable about one final corner and a veteran striker waiting for the bounce.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by Red Bull New York (newyorkredbulls.com) and mlssoccer.com; additional reporting from the AP via ESPN and Toronto FC (torontofc.ca).