Giovinco sets up rookie Endoh for his first MLS goal as TFC beats FC Dallas

TORONTO -- Sebastian Giovinco showed off his attacking genius Saturday night, setting up rookie Tsubasa Endoh for his first MLS goal while terrorizing the FC Dallas defence, as Toronto FC won its long-awaited home opener 1-0.

It was only Toronto's second-ever win over Dallas -- and the first since its inaugural season in 2007.

Dallas finished the game with 10 men after goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez was stretchered off in the 89th minute, forcing fullback Ryan Hollingshead to put on the goalie gloves for the six minutes of added time as the visitors had used all their subs.

Dallas (5-4-2) has lost three straight and not scored in 292 minutes.

Giovinco pulled the strings for Toronto (4-3-2), delighting a sellout crowd of 30,025 at newly renovated BMO Field. TFC 'keeper Clint Irwin posted his fourth shutout of the season.

The Atomic Ant has had a hand in all 10 Toronto goals this season, scoring six and assisting on the other four. Since joining Toronto for the 2015 campaign, he has been directly involved in 48 of Toronto's 68 goals (70 per cent) in league play.

The five-foot-four Italian could have set up and/or scored a half-dozen goals in the first half alone.

The visitors sent on Colombian designated player Fabian Castillo to open the second half. He sparked the offence but Dallas became vulnerable to the counter-attack in a wide-open half. Still Toronto had to buckle down to protect its lead.

Giovinco, honoured for his 2015 Golden Boot award prior to the game, came close to setting up Endoh twice in the first 10 minutes. Jozy Altidore had a chance in the 15th when a clearance went straight to him but his shot was blocked. Giovinco set up the chance with a fine diagonal ball to Steven Beitashour.

After a nifty flick-on from Altidore, Giovinco almost produced some more magic in the 20th minute when his cheeky long-range chip, which beat Gonzalez, just went over the crossbar. Giovinco then hit the goalpost in the 26th minute with a long swerving shot from outside the penalty box.

Giovinco played provider in the 28th minute with a precise pass to Endoh that cleared a defender's head by what looked like the width of one sheet of paper. The Japanese rookie coralled the ball then fired a low shot into the far corner.

By the 38th minute, Dallas had resorted to hacking Giovinco to the ground. He almost made them pay, firing the ensuing free kick just wide.

And when Marky Delgado failed to find Giovinco near goal late in the half, the Italian let him have it.

Endoh, playing at the tip of Toronto's midfield diamond, and Giovinco tormented a loose Dallas defence all night. And at the centre of midfield, captain Michael Bradley and Will Johnson sucked up balls and returned them to the attackers.

While Toronto had all of the chances, it was not finishing them. The crowd was holding its breath on a Dallas corner early in the second half as the ball bounced around like a pinball. Irwin then stopped a wide-open Castillo in the 66th minute, kicking out his foot to defect the ball.

At the other end, Gonzalez made fine saves in the 61st and 67th minutes to deny Altidore.

The return to BMO Field came one day shy of nine weeks after Toronto kicked off a marathon eight-game road trip to open the season because of the stadium renovations. Saturday marked Toronto's first home game since Oct. 17.

Despite a cool evening, the crowd was enthusiastic and loud in the newly renovated stadium, which has been upgraded to the tune of $150 million over the last two off-seasons. The new canopies above the east, west and south stands came in handy as fans arrived to grey skies and a smattering of rain.

The electronic ad hoarding strips looked crisper. And the new lighting system also appeared an update. The north stand, with its small pockets of temporary seats and standing patio seemed bare, however. That area will become a CFL endzone when the Argos play.

For all the caterwauling from some quarters of TFC supporters reluctant to share their home, it still looked like a soccer stadium.

FC Dallas arrived on the heels of two lopsided roads defeats -- 4-0 to the Red Bulls and 3-0 to Vancouver.

Oscar Pareja's team was third in the Western Conference despite an up-and-down season that has seen it concede 17 goals going into weekend play. Only the New York Red Bulls (18) had conceded more. Thirteen of the goals given up by Dallas had come on the road.

Still Dallas came into the game not having lost to Toronto since June 17, 2007, in the inaugural meeting between the two. Carl Robinson, now coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps, and Danny Dichio, current head coach of the TFC senior academy side, both scored for Toronto that day.

The Texas side had gone 8-0-5 against Toronto prior to Saturday.