Andros Townsend struck an 86th-minute winner as Tottenham Hotspur downed a spirited Toronto FC in their second pre-season friendly of the summer at BMO Field tonight.
Two goals from Erik Lamela had sent the Premier League outfit into a comfortable two-goal lead at the break.
However, second-half strikes from Andrew Wiedemann and Jordan Hamilton saw the hosts draw level, but the cream rose to the top as a moment of quality from Townsend settled the affair.
Below, read all of the action as it unfolded on Sports Mole's live commentary.
11.30pmHello ladies and gentlemen and thank you for tuning into Sports Mole's live commentary of Tottenham Hotspur's pre-season visit to Toronto FC tonight. The BMO Field plays host as Spurs clash with the Canadian outfit in part two in their tour of North America this summer.
11.32pmIf Spurs's last performance stateside is anything to go by then you can expect fireworks tonight folks! Tottenham began life under Mauricio Pochettino by playing out an enthralling 3-3 draw with Seattle Sounders at the weekend. It was rather refreshing to see a two-sided friendly encounter it has to be said, and here's to hoping that tonight serves up yet another goal-fest for us.
11.34pmRight, team news is slowly but surely filtering through and I'll have that for you in the coming minutes. Stay tuned my friends.
11.36pmHere we go:
Toronto FC: Konopka; Hall, Orr, Henry, Morgan; Oduro, Warner, Bekker, Lovitz; Gilberto, Defoe
Tottenham Hotspur: Friedel; Naughton, Kaboul, Veljkovic, Davies; Capoue, Mason, Lamela, Lennon, Eriksen; Soldado
11.37pmThe big Spurs-related team news is the inclusion of Ben Davies, who is poised to make his debut tonight after sealing his switch from Swansea City earlier on Wednesday.
#THFCTOUR: @Ben_Davies33 will be pulling on this shirt for the first time against @torontofc. pic.twitter.com/sf6jsH3Mi5
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 23, 201411.40pmTottenham fans will also surely be delighted and excited to hear that Erik Lamela has made their starting lineup. The Argentine looked closer to being included in a 'where are they now' segment than a first XI following a largely anonymous first season at White Hart Lane, but Lamela is now injury-free and will be looking to show just why the club spent some £30m quid on him.
11.43pmAs far as Toronto's first XI goes, Spurs certainly boast an advantage by knowing the face and the modus operandi of their would-be assassin tonight, as Jermain Defoe, who spent nine years at White Hart Lane, will put sentiment to one side for 90 minutes and try fire Toronto to victory. The 31-year-old has enjoyed a fine start to his Toronto career since his move in February, scoring 11 times in 14 appearances. How he'd love to bag a 12th tonight!
11.45pmHere, we bring you a warm embrace between Defoe and his former Spurs chairman Daniel Levy. JD felt pretty good about his height just then.
Daniel Levy and @IAmJermainDefoe exchange hugs before the match. #tfclive pic.twitter.com/3FS2PUEDKc
— Toronto FC (@torontofc) July 23, 201411.48pmAs someone who has spent some time in Toronto, I can vouch that it is indeed a beautiful city, full of wonderful people, beautiful buildings - and a hot dog stand on practically every street corner! Let's hope that both outfits play out an entertaining clash befitting of the location tonight. About 12 minutes until kickoff! I do love a midnight KO.
11.56pmPREDICTION! Did you know that, although Nostradamus could predict everything and anything, he famously never bothered with pre-season friendlies? It is unclear if he was daunted by the unpredictability of them, or if they simply did not exist when he was knocking out. Who knows. Nevertheless, I'm brazen enough to call this one and I forsee a Spurs victory. Okay we'll go 3-1 just to be bold. We're around five minutes out now folks!
12.02amIt's been a day for Premier League upsets, by the way folks. First, Wellington Phoenix overcame West Ham United 2-1 in New Zealand this afternoon, before Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by RZ Pellets! Can Spurs buck that trend? Stay tuned to find out. Kickoff is imminent.
12.07amJermain Defoe leads out Toronto and exchanges some pre-match pleasantries with his Spurs mates. Make no mistake about it, though, he'll want to score tonight. He's loves a goal, someone who'd score against his grandmother if she was between the sticks.
0 minKICKOFF: Right, Toronto get us underway in BMO Field people.
3 minEarly half-chance for Spurs as Erik Lamela has the game's first shot but a defender gets across really well to prevent any real danger. Promising, though.
6 minAs expected, Spurs bossing possession so far here. In theory the Canadian outfit should more than a match fitness-wise, though, being in the middle of their MLS season.
10 minCHANCE! Aaron Lennon, playing on the left-hand side of midfield, fashions the game's first real chance, nipping in ahead Bradley Oor but failed in his bid to find the far post and the ball trickles narrowly wide.
13 minCHANCE! Another really good chance as Lamela, easily Spurs's best player thus far, fires straight into the arms of Chris Konopka following Ben Davies's clever cut-back pass. What a start that would've been to the left-back's Tottenham career.
15 minGOAL! TORONTO FC 0-1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (LAMELA)
16 minIt looked imminent and Spurs have their first of what could be a fruitful night for the Premier League outfit. Lennon found Lamela, who was unmarked on the left hand side and the Argentine cooly slotted beyond Konopka from a tight angle to give Tottenham a deserved lead. This is precisely what the Lilywhites fans will be hoping to see in a competitive setting this season.
19 minWe need to duff our proverbial cap to Spurs keeper Brad Friedel, by the way. The former USA international is 43 years of age, yet shows no signs of slowing down in his career. It's great to see and here's to hoping that we see him in competitive action next season, despite potentially slipping to third in the pecking order following the acquisition of Michel Vorm today.
24 minDefoe has been rather quiet thus far, in the same way that a cobra can go about his business without being noticed. Spurs centre-halves Younes Kaboul and Milos Velijkovic will know just how lethal the diminutive striker can be given the chance. Still 1-0 to Tottenham.
29 minToronto have done well to take the sting out of this one since going behind. Spurs are getting far less fortune down their left flank as they were prior to the goal. With the class in this team though, you imagine they'll find an alternative point of attack if necessary.
34 minChristian Eriksen's speculative effort flies high and wide as Tottenham still look to add the cushion of a second goal. I heard the Dane wanted to hit the CN Tower before he left but I thought he meant something else! It was one to forget. They're still very much on top here though.
37 minThis is the man charged with the task of upsetting the Lilywhites: Ryan Nelsen, coach of Toronto who previously enjoyed a brief, yet successful six-month spell at White Hart Lane in 2012. Let's just say he wouldn't be short of offers to have a pint bought for him if he turned up in a North London pub. The Tottenham part of North London, of course.
A recognisable figure in the @torontofc dugout ...
#THFCTOUR pic.twitter.com/HKpuE2NCGa
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 23, 201439 minGOAL! TORONTO FC 0-2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (LAMELA)
40 minLamela bags his brace here folks in what was almost a carbon copy of his first, albeit a slightly more clinical finish. Soldado plays him in on the left once again and Lamela confidently fires left-footed past the keeper from an acute angle once more to double Spurs's advantage with five minutes remaining in the half. This will do his confidence a world of good.
44 minToronto have a decent opportunity to halve the two-goal deficit before the break as Collen Warner prepares to fizz a free kick into the area.....
12.56amHALF TIME: TORONTO FC 0-2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR The chance comes to nothing and Spurs comfortably clear their lines, before the referee signals for the end of the first half.
1.00amBEARD WATCH! By virtue of a rather indifferent first season in England last term, Roberto Soldado's facial hair was just about the only reason to praise the Spaniard last season. And in truth, his immaculate beard is probably the only cause for celebration throughout this 45 minutes. He did well to set up Lamela's second, but overall he is yet to be involved and stamp any authority on the match. The only stash he'll want to show off this season is the one where which he is hiding all of his goals. Did you see what I did there?
1.05am
Tottenham's two-goal hero Erik Lamela in action in the first half.
HALF-TIME: @torontofc 0-2 #THFC - http://t.co/0lg6YvJr40
@Coco_Lamela scored both our goals. #THFCTOUR #COYS pic.twitter.com/vvDiiwn1zg
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 23, 2014Tottenham's two-goal hero Erik Lamela in action in the first half.
1.07amJust a reminder, I'll be bringing you live commentary of Manchester United's pre-season clash with LA Galaxy very shortly after we finish up in Toronto. They kick off the Louis van Gaal era in a few hours! Be there or be square.
46 minWe're back underway in Canada ladies and gentlemen and Toronto have made changes aplenty for this second half.
Second Half XI: Roberts, Hall, Hagglund, Richter, Morgan, De Rosario, Osorio, Bekker, Lovitz, Hamilton, Wiedeman #TFClive
— Toronto FC (@torontofc) July 24, 201448 minOnly Fridel retains his place for Spurs's second-half, meanwhile. Lamela won't be getting his hat-trick, but a brace will do the 22-year-old a world of good.
Spurs second-half XI: Friedel, Walker, Dawson, Fryers, Rose, Holtby, Carroll, Ceballos, Townsend, Falque, Kane.
52 minThe hosts are yet to really threaten Spurs's defence throughout this encounter, but they're displaying some encouraging signs thus far in this second half.
54 minHalf chance for Tottenham to add a third there as Andros Townsend drags his effort wide of the mark. If Spurs are to win convincingly here tonight you imagine that the England international will play a role in that.
56 minCHANCE! Wow. Toronto come agonisingly close to getting back into this game, and it would've comfortably been the goal of the night. Kyle Bekker unleashes a fierce drive toward goal but his effort drifts wide by a matter of inches.
57 minCHANCE! And Spurs go down the other end and come even closer to putting this one firmly to bed! Danny Rose swings a superb cross into the Toronto box but, despite making contact, striker Harry Kane can not direct the ball goal-bound and it trickles narrowly wide of the post. Goalkeeper Quillan Roberts had no chance.
61 minLewis Holtby has looked sharp since coming on at the break. The German could well be playing for his Tottenham futute in these pre-season clashes, having spent the last six months on loan at relegated Fulham. The midfielder is certainly giving Pochettino food for thought here though, making a couple of decent runs behind Toronto's defence and producing some clever back-heels.
64 minGOAL! TORONTO FC 1-2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (WIEDMANN)
65 minIt's very much game on at the BMO field, my friends. Daniel Lovitz plays a tidy through ball to Andrew Wiedeman, who beat the offside trap to stroke past Brad Friedel with a clinical first-time finish. All three goals have come in that part of the field. Perhaps they should begin drilling for oil there in the morning.
70 minChristian Ceballos is keen to make a name for himself here, as the youngster drives through the heart of Toronto's midfield but, instead of using one of the two players either side of him, elected to shoot as his effort flew over the bar. The 21-year-old came through Barcelona's youth academy, but he didn't learn that at La Masia!
73 minTORONTO FC 2-2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (HAMILTON)
75 minThey've done it folks. Toronto are back on level terms through Jordan Hamilton, who produces an excellent finish to complete his side's comeback after Spurs were two-nil up. There's a chant frequented by celebrating fans in this kind of scenario. I won't mention it, but I'll let you know if the Toronto fans take it from their hymn sheet! It's definitely game on now.
80 minWe're into the final 10 minutes at BMO Field this morning ladies and gents. Can Spurs salvage the victory after going two goals up, or will Toronto pip the Premier League outfit to the victory? You'll have to stay tuned!
84 minCHANCE! Spurs could, and perhaps should, have scored just then. Danny Rose does excellently down the left-hand side, pulling a cross back for the incoming Townsend, who fires straight into the arms of Roberts from inside the box. You wonder if Pochettino's side will get a better chance.
86 minGOAL! TORONTO 2-3 TOTTENHAM FC (TOWNSEND)
87 minThat should be that, my friends. Spurs lead a counter attack, with Holtby feeding Townsend, who cuts inside his marker and fires right-footed past Roberts from the edge of the box. He certainly atoned for his miss moments earlier with a decent finish and Tottenham most definitely should go on to win now.
2.00amFULL TIME: TORONTO FC 2-3 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
2.01amThat's all she wrote ladies and gentlemen as the cream rose to the top in the end and Spurs emerged victorious by the slimmest of margins.
2.02amErik Lamela's first-half brace had given the Premier League outfit a comfortable lead at the interval, but Andrew Wiedeman and Jordan Hamilton led Toronto's second-half resurgence. It was not enough, however, as Townsend came up with a late winner to give Mauricio Pochettino his first win as Tottenham coach in his second North American outing this summer.
2.06amWell, we got what we came for folks. We wanted a highly-entertaining friendly clash and we got one. We saw Lamela show glimpses of his best, including two very decent finishes, while we also saw just how much the MLS teams have come on quality-wise in recent years as Toronto bagged two good goals of their own.
2.07amAnyways, that's all from me tonight. We hope that you have enjoyed Sports Mole's live coverage and see you next time! If you're not bored of me you can catch me for Manchester United's pre-season clash with Los Angeles Galaxy, beginning at 3am. Goodnight and god bless!
