A goal by newly signed Spanish forward Jesus Jimenez gave Toronto FC a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire in pre-season MLS play Saturday.
The weather did not co-operate with cool conditions, not to mention a downpour, at St. David’s Performance Center, Austin FC’s training facility. Coaches were bundled up on the sidelines, complete with tuques.
The game was paused after 30 minutes due to lightning in the area. The team treated the break like halftime and kept playing when they returned — changing ends around the 50-minute mark.
Toronto improved to 3-1-0 in exhibition play under new coach Bob Bradley, who has overhauled the roster after taking over in the wake of a dismal 6-18-10 season.
Jimenez scored in the 56th minute, capping off a nice Toronto buildup involving Jacob Shaffelburg, Jayden Nelson and Alejandro Pozuelo. Shaffelburg’s low cross found Pozuelo and the Spanish playmaker fed the nearby Jimenez, who turned and scored from close range.
Minutes later, Chicago goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina made a good save to deny Nelson.
Jimenez and Mexican defender Carlos Salcedo, another recent signing, both started for Toronto.
There were anxious moments for Toronto when Salcedo went down in the 64th minute and needed treatment. He limped off the field under his own steam as both teams made wholesale changes.
⚽️ GOAL Jesús Jiménez<br><br>Our newest addition strikes for the second half lead in Austin<br><br>0-1 | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CHIvTOR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CHIvTOR</a> | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/TFCLive?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#TFCLive</a> <a href=”https://t.co/KhNmiifcT8″>pic.twitter.com/KhNmiifcT8</a>
—@TorontoFC
Toronto had more of the early possession but Chicago came close in the 46th minute when a diving Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono had to push away Mauricio Pineda’s low curling shot. Bono then stopped a shot off the rebound and a Toronto teammate managed to clear the ball just wide of the goalpost.
Greg Ranjitsingh, replacing Bono in goal, made an acrobatic save with his leg in the 77th to deny Jhon Jader Duran after the 18-year-old Colombian forward was put in behind the Toronto defence. Ranjitsingh stopped Duran again minutes later.
Toronto split its first two pre-season games, losing 5-4 to the Los Angeles Galaxy and beating Los Angeles FC 2-1 while in California. Toronto defeated Austin FC 2-1 on Wednesday.
Toronto is finishing up camp in Austin ahead of its Feb. 26 season opener at FC Dallas. TFC plays Houston on Wednesday in its penultimate pre-season game.