Toronto FC’s playoff hopes took a body blow Wednesday in a 4-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls that featured three penalties, a goal called back and a red card.
Toronto finished with 10 men, losing Italian star Federico Bernardeschi to a second yellow card in the 75th minute. Toronto defender Shane O’Neill conceded two penalties.
After missing the MLS post-season for the last three seasons, Toronto came into the game in eighth place in the Eastern Conference — looking to hang on to its wild-card playoff berth. The eighth- and ninth-place teams meet in a playoff wild-card game, with the winner moving on to face the first seed in the best-of-three first round.
TFC was ninth, overtaken by CF Montreal, when the final whistle blew with other results still to come. Philadelphia (9-13-10) was 10th, with the same points as Toronto and a game in hand.
Toronto (11-18-4) …