Maicon Santos #29 of Toronto FC battles for the ball with Michael Umana #4 of Chivas USA during an MLS game at BMO Field on August 7, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)Abelimages/Getty Images
For Toronto FC head coach Predrag (Preki) Radosavljevic and forward Maicon Santos, beating their old club had nothing to do revenge. But the outcome couldn't have felt any better.
Nana Attakora and Chad Barrett each scored in the first half as Toronto beat Chivas USA 2-1 on Saturday, stretching the team's home unbeaten streak to 10 games in front of 20,648 fans at BMO Field.
"It feels good to get three points," said Preki, who coached Chivas for three seasons before taking the job with Toronto this season. "That's all I care (about) right now. Old team, new team, don't matter to me. We were looking for three points and we put ourselves in good position for the playoffs."
Santos, meanwhile, looked electric against the club that released him in July.
The Brazilian forward set up one goal and twice nearly found the back of the net. His best chance came in the 14th minute after Halifax native Ante Jazic was carded for a tackle on Toronto defender Dan Gargan. Dwayne De Rosario's ensuing free kick found Santos, who headed a hard ball straight at Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.
Santos' day was done early in the second half after hurting his knee in a scrum near the Chivas net. He briefly returned only to limp back off and be replaced by Miguel Angel Ferrer Martinez (Mista).
Toronto (7-6-5) struck first in the 21st minute. Gargan whipped a strong throw into the box to find fellow Reds defender Attakora, who headed the ball past Kennedy for his first goal of the season.
Toronto struck again 11 minutes later. Santos flicked the ball past two defenders to Barrett who fired in his sixth goal of the year.
Not that Santos could take credit for the assist - he was trying to move the ball in for his own shot.
"I tried to control the ball," Santos said with a chuckle. "It was an accident, it wasn't a pass."
Toronto's offence was relentless in the first half, kicking six shots on target, but Preki hoped for more.
"I was honestly disappointed that we only came to halftime 2-0 up," he said. "I know they had a moment or two, but I was hoping we'd score another one (to) kill the game.
Chivas (5-10-3) cut the lead to one after being gifted a goal in the 65th minute. Defender Adrian Cann was called on a handball in the Toronto box, and Chivas was awarded a penalty. Giancarlo Maldonado took the shot and put the ball past Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei to cut the lead to 2-1.
Cann admitted he touched the ball, but still argued referee Jorge Gonzalez made the wrong call.
"I couldn't move out of the way fast enough to react," said Cann. "It hit my hand. I thought the ref shouldn't have called the penalty because I didn't do it intentionally, it just came at me. . . . I can't move out of the way."
It was the only goal conceded by Frei, who made seven saves including two lunging dives against Chivas forward Justin Braun.
De Rosario had a golden chance to score Toronto's third goal shortly after Santos' injury. The Reds captain took a give and go pass from Mista with an open look at the Chivas' net, but was robbed by Kennedy's outstretched hand.
A charging Chivas midfielder Paulo Nagamura was a touch away from tying the game in the 87th minute, but Frei leapt on the ball before Nagamura could get a shot away.
"I think what we're lacking right now is that killer goal," said Barrett. "We scored two goals in back-to-back games, which is good, but if we get chances to put teams away that's what we need to start doing. It takes a lot of pressure off us in the second half."
It was an important three points for Toronto, who hold the eighth and final playoff spot. Entering the game Toronto had just one win in seven league matches, but were coming off an important tie against Club Deportivo Motagua that advanced the club on aggregate to the CONCACAF Champions League group stage.
Chivas, meanwhile, remain in the Western Conference basement after having their four-game unbeaten streak snapped.
Notes: Toronto will be without Gargan for their game Wednesday in New York. He was handed a yellow card in the 17th minute for tackling from behind. . . Toronto was missing defenceman Emmanuel Gomez (knee) and Ty Harden (calf) and midfielders Martin Saric (quad) and Amadou Sanyang (concussion-like symptoms). . . Chivas played without Blair Gavin (hamstring) and Zach Thornton (ankle). . . After playing the Red Bulls, Toronto finishes the month at home with three games including their opening game in the CONCACAF group stage against Cruz Azul on Aug. 17.