Thompson, Nelson score first career MLS goals in hard-fought draw in Salt Lake City

The Toronto FC young guns shone bright on Saturday night as the Reds came from behind to earn just their second-ever point at Rio Tinto Stadium, settling for a 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake.

The first star of the night was 19-year-old homegrown Kosi Thompson, who has quickly turned into one of the stories of the young season. After Toronto (2-2-2) fell behind in the seventh minute, the midfielder-turned-wingback equalized just two minutes later in sensational fashion, volleying home 22-year-old Jacob Shaffelburg’s cross to make it 1-1.

“Honestly, from the beginning of Shaff's run, I knew that he's just going to go straight to the byline,” said Thompson after the match, describing his goal. “He did incredible to get past a couple of guys. As I saw it started building up in him past the first guy, the second guy, I knew I had to get on my horse and get into the box.

“Once I saw him take it to the byline, I know it's going to be cut back, so it was just sitting there. Poz (Pozuelo) was in the same position, and I screamed to him leave it, and I just made a good connection with the ball.”

The goal was Thompson’s first career goal in Major League Soccer, just a week after making his first-ever MLS start. The Toronto native, who learned he’d be attending training camp with the first team just a few days before the club departed to Los Angeles, was on very few people’s radars just a few weeks ago, and now, he’s scoring important golazos for his hometown club.

“It was a great goal,” said Bob Bradley postgame. “Jacob's run, the ball, and Kosi's finish was fantastic. Look, Kosi shows good qualities. He's versatile as a player. He had been more of an attacker for TFC II, but he's been able to use all his qualities to help us as either a wingback or even an outside back. He's played in the midfield in training. So we see good things from him every day. So really excited for him to get his first goal.”

Up next was Jayden Nelson, whose goal may have outdone his fellow homegrown teammate, though the Canadian international wouldn’t admit it postgame.

With Toronto trailing 2-1, Nelson checked into the match in the 74th minute and made his impact felt just five minutes later. The 19-year-old won the ball back in midfield and without hesitation went for goal, catching Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Zac MacMath off guard and out of a position with a laser of a strike, levelling the match for the Reds.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Nelson postgame. “I've been working towards it. It's great that I could come out and help the team to equalize the game.

“I just seen the keeper throw out the ball, and I knew that I could press the player and take it off from him. I seen the goalie get off his line, so I tried to hit it as hard as I can for him not to tip it or anything. That was my thought process going into scoring my first goal.”

The 19-year-old Brampton, Ont., native has had a rough go in the final third in his previous 20 first-team appearances. He’ll hope that getting his career MLS goal and the monkey off his back Saturday night will instill more confidence in his game moving forward.

“Yeah, I feel like it gives me more confidence to do things in the final third, and it's something that, like I said multiple times, I've been working on,” said Nelson. “So just getting this off my back -- like all the young guys scored already, so it's finally that it's my time now. It's just something I've been working towards, and hopefully it gives me confidence moving forward.”

“Yeah, it's a fantastic goal,” added Bob Bradley. “The confidence, just the recognition of the moment where the keeper's out and now you can take advantage of it.

“I would agree that Jayden has had some moments where he's gotten into the box and you think he's on the verge of either making the right pass or finishing a chance. That part has to continue to improve. But maybe a goal like tonight makes a big difference in those ways."

In addition to Nelson and Thompson, three other homegrown youngsters (Jordan Perruzza, Deandre Kerr, and Luca Petrasso) featured for Toronto Saturday night, while first-year MLS pros Kadin Chung and Lukas MacNaughton also played a role.

“I think we feel good that the young guys are making progress,” said Bradley. “As I mentioned, they stepped up and made a difference in tonight's game.

“The work to build the team, the mix of the more experienced guys, the young guys, the way they push each other, the need for the older guys to be good leaders and good examples, these are things that, yeah, we speak about all the time. I'm proud to see how some of those things are developing.”

The one damper on an otherwise positive evening was the sending off of designated player Carlos Salcedo. The 28-year-old centre-back got mixed up with fellow defender Shane O’Neill in the 86th minute before inadvertently kicking his man as the last player back, resulting in a red card.

He’ll be suspended for likely one game – next Saturday’s match at BMO Field against the league-leading Philadelphia Union. The Mexican international was previously suspended for a risky tackle earlier this season against the New York Red Bulls, one that the MLS Department of Player Safety deemed worthy afterwards of a one-game suspension.

“Tonight I don't think was [Salcedo’s] best night, and yes, I want him to be a player that defensively not only makes great plays, has personality, but organizes, and in big games obviously, doesn't put himself in those kind of positions where we end up down a man,” said the TFC manager.

TFC have now picked up points in three straight matches and sit in seventh in the Eastern Conference, one point up on CF Montréal.

Considering that the roster is still very much a work in progress – and that this is a new group – it’s been a strong start to the year for the Reds, and Thompson believes the squad is just getting started.

“There is no limit with this team,” said the homegrown youngster. “Everyone comes in 100 per cent every day to play the football we want to play and everyone is 100 per cent dedicated to it. Every day guys are chatting and talking, trying to figure things out and trying to further our games, and so I really do think that this squad has a really bright future.”

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