This Week in Toronto FC History: The Four-Goal Fest

On May 21, 2024, BMO Field played host to a historic night in the Canadian Championship. Toronto FC welcomed League1 Quebec champions CS Saint-Laurent for the second leg of the tournament quarter-finals. Holding a comfortable 3-0 lead from the first leg in Montreal, the Reds didn't just protect their aggregate cushion—they completely demolished the semi-professional side in an emphatic, record-breaking 8-1 blowout victory.

It was an unforgettable night of soccer that featured unprecedented individual brilliance and established several milestones in the club's history books.

The Deandre Kerr Show

While Prince Owusu capped off the night's scoring with TFC's eighth goal in the 80th minute, it was Deandre Kerr who firmly stole the spotlight. The Ajax native put on an absolute masterclass in finishing, etching his name into Toronto FC folklore. Kerr became the first player in Toronto FC history to score four goals in a single competitive match. He also became the first-ever player to achieve this feat across the entire history of the Canadian Championship tournament.

Red Cards and Records Broken

The hill became insurmountable for CS Saint-Laurent just before the break when midfielder Oussama Boughanmi was shown a direct red card in the 45th minute for a reckless tackle on Alonso Coello.

Playing against 10 men, John Herdman’s side relentless pursued the team goal-scoring record they had targeted before kickoff. In addition to Kerr's historic haul, Cassius Mailula found the net in the 50th minute, Derrick Etienne Jr. converted a penalty in the 56th, and Saint-Laurent's Nathan Goulet accidentally bundled the ball into his own net under heavy pressure. Prince Owusu then completed TFC's historic night by tapping home a pass from Federico Bernardeschi to make it 8-0.

The 8-1 result marked the first time Toronto FC scored eight goals in a single competitive match, setting the tournament record for the most goals scored by a single team in a Canadian Championship fixture.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, the semi-pro Quebec champions earned a moment of well-deserved respect. In the 89th minute, Rickson Aristilde slipped a tidy finish past TFC goalkeeper Luka Gavran (who had to make an impressive 10 saves during the match). The consolation goal—the first CS Saint-Laurent had ever scored against an MLS opponent—was met with a genuine round of applause from the BMO Field faithful, capturing the true magic of the domestic cup competition.

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