Landon Donovan scored in the 89th minute to give the Los Angeles Galaxy a 2-2 tie with Toronto FC on Wednesday night under the dome in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final.
The goal came in a goalmouth scramble from a David Beckham corner, with Donovan poking the ball in.
Until then, it had looked like Toronto was going to hang on, having scored early and survived a series of defensive wobbles.
It was frenetic and entertaining soccer, if not the beautiful game before an enthusiastic crowd of 47,658 at the Rogers Centre. It was also fun on a big stage, with a big star in Beckham orchestrating the visitors' attack.
Ryan Johnson and Luis Silva scored for Toronto, which led 2-0 after just 18 minutes.
Mike Magee opened the scoring for Los Angeles, which looked disjointed at both ends for much of the evening.
Both defences were in pre-season form, making for lots of scoring chances. The second half was particularly sloppy.
The second leg is scheduled for March 14 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., with the winner advancing to play either the Seattle Sounders or Mexico's Santos Laguna.
The star-studded Galaxy started slowly and were ripped apart on defence by the searing pace of Toronto's Joao Plata. Los Angeles looked to respond with the long ball but failed to crack open the home defence.
Toronto was feisty with big Dutch striker Danny Koevermans getting in Josh Saunders' face early in the second half when the Galaxy goalie clashed with him on the edge of the penalty box.
Koevermans lifted up his shorts to show an ugly welt on his thigh.
The evening started quietly but had ramped up nicely for kickoff.
Beckham drew the loudest ovation during Galaxy introductions, with boos and cheers almost even.
The crowd, quiet before the game, found its voice for the Toronto introductions with a rousing welcome in particular to captain Torsten Frings, Koevermans and the diminutive Plata.
As at BMO Field, the south end of the stadium led the way in enthusiasm. It looked like the bottom stand had been daubed in red paint and fans there launched the TFC chant as kickoff approached.
Even the Toronto subs were treated like royalty as they came on the field. Head coach Aron Winter, wearing a stylish suit that made him look like he was playing a gig with The Jam later in the evening, was also warmly welcomed.
Confetti streamed out of the stands as the teams marched in to suitably pompous music.
The 36-year-old Beckham found himself surrounded by streamers when he tried to take a corner in the third minute. The part-time underwear model looked like he had come out of a Christmas cracker.
After a second-half corner, Beckham had streamers wrapped around his body as he raced back up the field. Just before the tying goal, he held up a can as more debris was launched at him from the stands as he prepared to take the corner.
The former England captain also had a slow start but began to go in search of the ball, launching long-range passes down the field as Los Angeles looked to unlock the Toronto defence.
Wednesday night's game was played indoors because of concerns over the weather, although Toronto was treated to a balmy afternoon high of 15 and it was nine degrees at kickoff.
The chance to sell extra tickets thanks to Beckham and the Galaxy was also a factor, no doubt. Tickets ranged from $15.50 to $77.75.
Still the choice meant playing on artificial turf.
It won't be the only bumper Canadian soccer crowd. The Montreal Impact expect a crowd 50,000-plus for their home opener March 17 against the Chicago Fire at Olympic Stadium.
Toronto started Stefan Frei in goal with the rock-steady Frings in front of him at the heart of the backline.
Their job was to stop Beckham, Donovan and Robbie Keane, the Galaxy stars who made US$12.2 million in salary between them last season, according to the MLS Players' Union.
The Galaxy looked dangerous on the counter-attack with Keane forcing a diving save off Frei in the third minute.
Plata's speed was causing problems at the other end. And it was a corner caused by Plata that led to the first goal in the 12th minute.
A Los Angeles defender headed the Frings inswinger away but the ball went straight to Johnson, who sent it high into the goal with his left foot.
Johnson and his teammates then headed to the corner for a wild celebration as Los Angeles players looked at each other.
A 50-yard Beckham pass on the button to Keane in the 15th minute served notice that one touch could be deadly.
Plata and Johnson almost made it 2-0 soon after but Saunders got a hand to Johnson's shot after another Plata rush.
Silva made it 2-0 in the 18th, rising to send a looping header past Saunders after a long-range cross from Frings. Silva, a rookie who is from Los Angeles and went to school at University of California, Santa Barbara, sank to his knees and crossed himself.
The Toronto defence was nowhere to be seen in the 29th minute when Magee trimmed the lead, heading in a Sean Franklin cross from the byline.
Beckham was on target in the 32nd minute on a long-range free kick, but Frei was well positioned to haul it in.
The Toronto defence was like a drunken sailor in the 38th minute as Beckham sent another free kick into the box. Only the fact that two Galaxy players fell over saved Toronto's blushes.
Donovan, on the fringes of the action, switched to the left side as the first half neared a close in a bid to get something going.
An injury-time attempt from halfway to chip the goalie was nowhere close for Beckham.
Still he caused more issues with a free kick in the 47th that left Toronto defenders scrambling.
The much-travelled Keane wasn't much of a factor, all but throwing a tantrum early in the second half when the ball did not come his way on a rush.
Plata, who only has so much gas in his five-foot-two, 135-pound frame, came off to cheers in the 58th minute.
Keane had his chance in the 61st, rushing in on goal only to have Frei block the shot.
Koevermans then tried his own chip from within in his half, sending Saunders diving through the air as the ball flew not too far wide.
The final eight of the tournament features three teams from MLS, four from Mexico and one from El Salvador.
Of the three MLS teams, Toronto comes in with the weakest 2011 credentials. The Canadian team compiled a 6-13-15 record for 33 points last season, 16th worst in the then 18-team league.
The 19-5-10 Galaxy led the regular season standings with 67 points, four ahead of 18-7-9 Seattle.
