Toronto FC's slim playoff hopes were dealt a body blow Saturday night in a 4-2 loss to first-year Los Angeles FC.

Coupled with Montreal's 3-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls, Toronto is now nine points out of the playoffs with seven games remaining. Things are looking bleak for the MLS champions.

Diego Rossi scored twice and Lee Nguyen and Carlos Vela also had goals for LAFC, which silenced the BMO Field crowd of 28,247 with goals two minutes apart to open the second half.

Jozy Altidore pulled one back in the 74th minute after being put in alone by Sebastian Giovinco. The Italian hit the goalpost minutes later with a long-range rocket.

Altidore scored again, roofing the ball in the 93rd minute to make things interesting at 3-2. But only briefly, as Vela scored a minute later, beating Clint Irwin with a high shot from a tight angle.

LAFC (13-7-7) extended its unbeaten streak to four (3-0-1) while increasing its points lead over Toronto (7-14-6) to 19.

The first regular-season meeting between the two teams was also a father and son affair, pitting LAFC coach Bob Bradley against Toronto captain Michael Bradley for the first time in a competitive match (the two did meet in a pre-season game this year).

Bradley Bowl honours went to Bob, coaching in his 299th career MLS game. Father and son hugged briefly after the final whistle.

The opening goal came in the 23rd minute off Rossi's speculative long-range shot that hit defender Justin Morrow's leg and then Vela's arm before eluding a diving Irwin, who got the start in place of normal No. 1 Alex Bono. TFC defender Drew Moor appealed in vain for handball.

With Toronto coming into the game 0-12-1 when conceding the first goal, it was a bad omen.

And things went from bad to worse for the home side when playmaker Victor Vazquez, who had to pass a late fitness test to make the starting 11, was forced to leave in the 25th minute - still feeling the effects of a knee to the back last time out.

LAFC struck quickly to open the second half. After Gregory van der Wiel failed to control a long ball, Rossi took possession before lashing home a left-footer in the 47th minute for his 10th of the season. Two minutes later, Vela beat three defenders and passed the ball to an unmarked Nguyen.

Toronto had its opportunities. Giovinco had several good chances, including a glorious overhead bicycle shot from the edge of the penalty box in the 15th minute that had to be tipped over the bar by Tyler Miller. He shot just wide in the second half, hanging his head afterwards.

Substitute Lucas Janson was also just off-target with a header and then shot high.

Irwin had to be sharp in the 38th minute, sticking out a foot to deny Marco Urena after the Costa Rican forward was sent in alone. At the other end, Miller stopped a marauding Morrow from in-close late in the half.

After the two-week international break, Toronto has seven games remaining - four at home (L.A. Galaxy, New England, Vancouver and Atlanta) and three away (New York Red Bulls, D.C. United and Montreal).

By coach Greg Vanney's reckoning, Toronto needs to win six of them to make the playoffs.

Toronto has had plenty of chances to catch up but keeps dropping points. TFC came into the game with one win in its last five league games (1-2-2) and just three in its last 13 (3-6-4).

TFC was coming off a 2-0 midweek loss in Portland that saw Vanney rest Vazquez, Bono, Moor, van der Wiel, Giovinco and Jonathan Osorio.

It was a rare game with offensive stars Altidore, Giovinco and Vazquez all fit or available to start. The threesome had spent just 225 minutes on the field together previously in the 2018 MLS season. But that lasted less than half an hour on the night.

Vela captained L.A. in the absence of veteran defender Laurent Ciman, who made a move to France's Dijon this week.

LAFC had plenty of Canadian connections with Canadians Dejan Jakovic at centre back and assistant coach Marc Dos Santos watching from the bench. Saturday's starting lineup also included fullbacks Jordan Harvey, a former Vancouver Whitecap, and Steven Beitashour, who won the MLS Cup last year with Toronto.

The L.A. roster also includes Canadian goakeeper Quillan Roberts and midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye (injured).