Toronto FC wins 2-1 over Whitecaps in Nutrilite final

After going winless in 10 games, Toronto FC has now won twice in four days.

Mikael Yourassowsky scored in the 61st minute to give Toronto FC a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship final before 18,212 spectators at BMO Field on Saturday.

Both wins have come against Vancouver.

"It feels amazing," goalkeeper Stefan Frei said. "It's something I would love to get used to."

Yourassowsky's goal was his first for Toronto FC, which won the two-leg final 3-2 on aggregate and captured the Voyageurs Cup for the third straight year.

Camilo Sanvezzo scored for Vancouver off a free kick in the first half and Joao Plata, who also set up the winner, tied it on a second-half penalty. Plata was named the tournament MVP.

Vancouver coach Tom Soehn said his team got away its gameplan after it scored.

"We played on our heels instead of doing the things that got us to where we were," he said.

Toronto converted a penalty to defeat Vancouver 1-0 on Wednesday at BMO Field in a Major League Soccer match. That win was the Toronto club's first since May 7, a span of nine MLS games and one Nutrilite contest.

"You enjoy it but we have a few things coming up in the league and we want to keep that momentum going," Frei said. "If we go on a losing streak again then all these wins don't really matter."

Added Vancouver midfielder Terry Dunfield: "It was disappointing to lose in the fashion we did, going up 1-0. With so much at stake, this is where players need to step up and do it and some of us were left lying.

"That makes it frustrating, we were so close. Unfortunately, that second half probably sums our season up -- we're almost there, we compete, we put ourselves in a great chance to win the game and unfortunately we weren't able to pull through."

Toronto has a chance to go to the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League group stage but first must play Nicaragua's Real Esteli in a two-leg preliminary round July 27 at home and Aug. 2 away. The winner of that round will advance to the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League group stage.

Saturday's victory capped a good week for Toronto. Before Wednesday's game against Vancouver, the team announced the signings of two designated players, midfielder Torsten Frings and forward Danny Koevermans although neither will be able to play until later in the month.

"Wednesday was really good for us," Frei said. "We got the win which gave us the confidence but also we knew there was a positive vibe with the two new guys coming in.

"That gave us some confidence, so going down a goal that really didn't hurt us too much."

On the other hand, the two losses made for a tough week for Soehn and the Whitecaps.

"Summing up today I thought we did a pretty good job up until we scored the goal," he said. "Then it was a combination of two things. We took our foot off the gas and got away from our gameplan.

"Credit Toronto, they stepped up on the gas a bit and we collapsed to their pressure."

Toronto head coach Aron Winter said his club was worthy of the victory.

"It's nice to win," he said. "Even in the first half when they scored, we reacted well.

"And in the second half we put more pressure on the front and we deserved those two goals."

After Toronto took the lead, Vancouver wasn't done and Frei had to stop Sanvezzo's try from the left side in the 76th minute. A few minutes later, Frei alertly came out to clean up a loose ball with a Whitecaps player close by. Eric Hassli then scuffed a shot wide left in the 86th minute.

Plata tied the game in the 51st minute, tucking a penalty into the lower left corner when awarded a retake after goalkeeper Joe Cannon stopped his first attempt.

The penalty was awarded after Jonathan Leathers fouled Plata in the area in the 48th minute.

After he was fouled by defender Ty Harden, Sanvezzo scored for Vancouver in the 21st minute with a right-footed free kick into the top right corner.

"I was still confident after they scored," Winter said. "Because we were dominating most of the game although we were not sharp in the moments when we get the opportunity."

Toronto stormed the Vancouver goal five minutes later as Julian de Guzman, who has been out with a calf injury, had a shot blocked and then hit the post. Plata had an attempt from the centre of the box cleared from the line and goalkeeper Cannon stopped Nick Soolsma who fired from the right of the goal.

Toronto capitalized when Cannon was caught out of his goal in the 41st minute. Martina directed a slow shot toward the open goal but defender Jay DeMerit appeared to save it when he got his left foot on the ball at the line. However, television replays showed the ball had crossed the line when DeMerit got to it.

"I think it was really a 100 per cent goal," Winter said.

"We had some real heavy tactics laid out," Soehn said. "We can't get away from those and I thought we did.

"I thought we panicked a bit and we started booting the ball up the field instead of keeping our possession and moving our line up together. We have to know how to play with the lead."

Toronto lost forward Maicon Santos to injury early in the first half and he was replaced by Martina.

Saturday's match was a replay. The May 25 game at BMO Field was abandoned because of weather after 60 minutes with Vancouver leading 1-0. The teams started over Saturday. The first leg played May 18 at Vancouver was a 1-1 tie.