Toronto's Giovinco scores hat trick in 4-4 draw with NY City
NEW YORK (AP) Italy forward Sebastian Giovinco scored three times in nine minutes for Toronto before Patrick Mullins' goal in the 84th minute gave New York City FC a 4-4 draw in Major League Soccer on Sunday.
Mullins' equalizer goal came after Toronto FC cleared a free kick across its own net. Toronto had grabbed a 4-3 lead in the 82nd minute when Giovinco stole the ball, dribbled downfield and cut a pass back to Marky Delgado, who finished in front of the net.
David Villa put City in front in the 17th minute on a curling direct kick that glanced off goalie Chris Konopka's fingers.
Giovinco missed a penalty kick two minutes later, and City went up 2-0 in the 29th when Villa's penalty kick was blocked and Mullins' deflected follow went off Damien Perquis and into the net.
Giovinco then began his scoring streak, making good on a second penalty kick chance in the 34th. He tied the match in the 40th off a nifty back-heel pass from Jackson. Giovinco's 11th goal of the season came in the 43rd after he punched the ball over goalie Josh Saunders for a 3-2 lead. It was the first hat trick in franchise history.
Villa's 10th goal of the season, coming off a penalty kick after he was brought down by Konopka, leveled it at 3-3 in the 65th.
In the day's other game, Kevin Ellis scored in the 52nd minute as Sporting Kansas City beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 in Vancouver.
The defender rose to meet a slick Krisztian Nemeth cross and powered a header past Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted for his second of the season.
The Whitecaps had a chance to take sole possession of top spot in the Western Conference with a single point, but instead lost at home in Major League Soccer for the fourth time in nine games.
Kansas City, which is in its first season in the West, is now just two points behind of the Whitecaps with three games in hand.
