Football
Associated Press 9y

New York City FC, Toronto FC draw in eight-goal thriller

Toronto FC's Sebastian Giovinco scored three times in nine minutes, but Patrick Mullins' goal in the 84th minute gave New York City FC a 4-4 draw on Sunday.

The match included a league-record four penalty kicks.

Mullins' tying 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 NYCFC 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 NYCFC 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, tied it at 3 in the 65th.

Meanwhile in Vancouver, Kevin Ellis scored in the 52nd minute, leading Sporting Kansas City to a road win over the Whitecaps.

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 the 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, improved to 6-1-3 over its last 10 matches in MLS and is now just two points back of the Whitecaps with three games in hand.

The Whitecaps were playing in front of their fans for the first time since the end of May after a five-game, six-week road trip while B.C. Place Stadium was occupied by the Women's World Cup.

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