Jordan Hamilton scored two goals in less than three minutes late in the second half, leading Toronto FC to a 4-3 home win over Minnesota United on Friday night.
Alejandro Pozuelo scored two first-half goals for TFC. Darwin Quintero had a pair of goals for the Loons, who also got a tally from Angelo Rodriguez.
The win moves Toronto (4-1-1, 13 points) within one point of front-running D.C. United in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference. Minnesota (3-3-1, 10 points), playing its sixth away game in seven starts this season, wound up with nine men after two late red cards.
Trailing 3-2, Toronto took the lead back quickly thanks to the two goals from Hamilton.
The first came in the 77th minute when Hamilton took a pass from Jonathan Osorio and buried it to make it 3-3. In the 79th minute, he made it 4-3 when he headed home a ball flicked forward by Jozy Altidore.
Trailing 2-1 at the half, Minnesota drew even in the 57th minute.
Romain Metanire hit a cross from the right side into the penalty box where Rodriguez rose above the Toronto defense and headed it home to make it 2-2.
In the 69th minute, Minnesota took the 3-2 lead when Quintero converted a penalty kick after Rodriguez was brought down by Chris Mavinga in the penalty box.
Minnesota scored first on the night in the 17th minute off Quintero’s first tally.
Quintero took a long ball down the middle of the field and headed it past onrushing Toronto goalie Alex Bono, leaving a simple touch for the 1-0 lead.
Toronto bounced back with two goals in two minutes, both from Pozuelo.
The first came in the 28th minute when Pozuelo controlled a cleared ball around midfield and made a 35-yard run against a retreating Minnesota defense before drilling one home into the upper corner to tie it 1-1.
Just about two minutes later, Pozuelo made it 2-1 when he put home a cross from Justin Morrow from 6 yards out.
Minnesota United’s Jan Gregus got a straight red card in the 89th minute. Teammate Francisco Calvo took two yellow cards in the next two minutes to wind up ejected, too.