TORONTO -- Toronto FC's playoffs hopes died for the eighth straight year Saturday afternoon, thanks to a 1-1 draw with the Montreal Impact in a game that saw three players sent off.
Toronto (11-14-8) had needed to win its remaining games against Montreal and New England and hope that fifth-place Columbus lost both its matches against New York and Philadelphia.
Instead Eastern Conference cellar-dweller Montreal (6-18-9) played spoiler, denying TFC the points it needed and booking Columbus a berth in the playoffs. The Crew play the Red Bulls on Sunday.
Toronto can't have any complaints, picking up one point from 12 available in the last four matches.
Warren Creavalle scored for Toronto, which had the better of play in the first half and pressed late in the game for the winning goal.
Felipe replied in the 39th minute for Montreal. The Brazilian was a thorn in Toronto's side all afternoon.
Montreal defender Heath Pearce was sent off in the 82nd minute for a scissors tackle on substitute Dominic Oduro. Toronto midfielder Jonathan Osorio was ejected in stoppage time for a tackle on Felipe. Impact defender Hassoun Camara soon followed, for a second yellow.
There were plenty of empty seats for the home finale on a breezy 11-degree day at BMO Field. But it was no fault of Montreal, which had a healthy travelling contingent in the west stand. The announced crowd was 18,329, the second straight non-sellout.
Toronto was without its two biggest stars: striker Jermain Defoe (groin) and midfielder Michael Bradley (suspended). Centre back Nick Hagglund was also out.
Argentine midfielder Ignacio Piatti, who joined the Impact as a designated player in July, sat out the game with a knee injury.
Montreal came into the game with the league's worst road record (0-12-4). But BMO Field has been anything but a fortress this season for Toronto, which came into the weekend with the third-lowest home winning percentage (.500, 7-7-2) in the league.
Montreal had the benefit of the wind at its back in the first half but Toronto struck first in the 20th minute, with Creavalle's stylish volley finding the corner of Evan Bush's goal. The chance came after a Luke Moore's shot squibbed off defender Matteo Ferrari high into the air before dropping nicely onto Creavalle's foot.
It was his first goal for Toronto FC -- and the fourth of his four-year MLS career -- and he may not score a nicer one.
The former Houston Dynamo midfielder almost added an assist in the 30th minute, sending a dangerous cross through the box. But no one could get a foot to it.
Toronto came close again in the 36th but Moore's on-target header was knocked away by Ferrari.
Montreal, which had previously settled for long off-target shots, tied it up in the 39th minute -- against the run of play -- on Felipe's powerful shot from the edge of the penalty box. Andres Romero knocked the ball over to him after taking a magnificent pass from Patrice Bernier just inside the Montreal side of midfield.
Impact striker Jack McInerney did his part, drawing both centre backs as he ran towards goal as Romero got the ball. That left Felipe wide open.
The Brazilian celebrated his third of the season by dancing in front of the Toronto fans in the southeast corner of the stadium.
McInerney hit the crossbar in the 54th minute, put in the clear by Felipe. Then Gilberto's header went just wide off a Toronto corner in the 70th minute.
Oduro had a glorious chance with some 10 minutes left but his close-range shot hit a defender and deflected off the post. A Toronto goal on an ensuing corner was whistled back because of a foul.
Camara did not do himself any favours after earning a fifth-minute yellow card. In his bid to get at referee Baldomero Toledo, Camara shoved captain Bernier away and then had to be pulled away by another teammate.
Former Impact midfielder Collen Warner replaced Bradley at the back of a Toronto midfield diamond that also featured Creavalle, Brazil's Jackson and Osorio behind Moore and Gilberto. Doneil Henry stepped in for Hagglund at centre back.
Montreal star striker Marco Di Vaio started on the bench after travelling to Italy for the midweek announcement that his old club Bologna is being bought by a consortium that includes Impact owner Joey Saputo. Eric Miller, Bernier and McInerney came into the Impact lineup.
Di Vaio, who is retiring at the end of the season, came on in the 79th minute. The Italian nearly recorded the winner in stoppage time but his shot deflected wide.
Toronto came into the game having lost three straight, outscored 7-1 by the Los Angeles Galaxy, Houston Dynamo, and New York Red Bulls. Montreal had lost just one of its last five outings (2-1-2) in all competitions.
