TORONTO - Reggie Lambe and Ryan Johnson scored as Toronto FC snapped out of its tailspin to defeat the Montreal Impact 2-0 Wednesday night and advance to the final of the Amway Canadian Championship.
Toronto, winless in league play this season, was reduced to 10 men in the 16th minute when English fullback Richard Eckersley got a straight red from referee David Gantar.
Trailing by two at the break, the Impact attacked in waves in the second half but failed to show much accuracy in front of goal. Toronto, meanwhile, demonstrated character with some often desperate defending.
The teams went at each other all night, with plenty of ill-temper showing before a sparse crowd at BMO Field. Gantar was heavy on the whistle, upsetting both sides.
At the final whistle, Montreal manager Jesse Marsch had to be separated from Toronto assistant Bob De Klerk.
Toronto will meet either Vancouver or FC Edmonton in the two-legged final after advancing 2-0 on aggregate following last week's 0-0 draw in Montreal.
Vancouver and Edmonton played later Wednesday.
Unlike previous games, Toronto came out with a more attacking formation and showed an edge. The home side seemed to be operating in a higher gear than Montreal and took it to the Impact in an open first half, pressuring the visitors at every occasion.
When the Impact counter-attacked, often after some elegant passing, they failed to put shots on target.
Toronto captain Torsten Frings, a surprise starter after injuring his shoulder on the weekend, drove his side on from midfield. While not looking that mobile, he never stopped and, like his teammates, sacrificed his battered body when needed.
Toronto scored in the second minute when Eric Avila's pass found the diminutive Joao Plata cutting into the box through a mass of defenders. His shot deflected over to Lambe on the right, and the Bermudian forward's shot went off a defender and into the corner of the goal.
The goal was the first conceded by Montreal in 290 minutes.
Lambe dropped back on the right to serve as cover with Eckersley gone.
Johnson made it 2-0 in the 38th after Frings saved the ball from going out following a corner. The former German international drove the ball back into the box and, after a series of deflections, it found its way to Johnson who tapped it in.
Donovan Ricketts had kept Montreal in the game with a fine reflex stop in the 20th minute off Johnson. At the other end, Milos Kocic punched away a long-range Tyson Wahl free kick in the 42nd.
Marsch made changes at halftime, bringing on Justin Mapp and Brazilian Felipe for Shavar Thomas and Patrice Bernier for a more offensive approach.
Toronto, meanwhile, looked to batten down the hatches, hoofing the ball down the field at times.
The Montreal changes paid immediate dividends as the Impact swarmed the Toronto end. Kocic made a fine reflex save in the 53rd off Davy Arnaud.
The Impact continued to misfire in front of goal in the second half and gave away chances on the counter-attack as they threw men in attack.
Felipe came close in the 66th, curling a free kick just wide. And Mapp hit the post in the 79th.
Toronto substitute Jeremy Hall fired a long-range shot just wide in the 81st minute. He had another chance five minutes later but Ricketts somehow got a hand to it.
Ricketts also stopped Johnson at point-blank range in injury time.
Toronto came into the game riding an eight-game losing streak in MLS and with a 1-8-3 record in all competitions this season. The team's lone previous win came March 14 when Toronto won 2-1 in Los Angeles in CONCACAF Champions League play.
Montreal is 3-5-2 in its inaugural MLS season and was coming off a 2-0 win in Sporting Kansas City that had extended its unbeaten string to four games. That run is over and Montreal is now 0-6-2 against Toronto in Canadian championship play.
Notes: The game saw five Canadians start -- four for Toronto (Adrian Cann, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan and Julian de Guzman), and one for Montreal (Patrice Bernier) ... The Impact have sold around 55,000 tickets for Saturday's home game against David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy ... Forward Nick Soolsma returned to the Toronto bench after being sidelined with a hamstring and came on in the second half. Dutch striker Danny Koevermans (groin) did not dress, however.
