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MLS playoff roundup: Toronto advances

Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, center, congratulates Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard, right. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
Associated Press

Sebastian Giovinco had the fourth hat trick in MLS playoff history and Toronto FC routed host New York City FC 5-0 on Sunday night to reach the Eastern Conference finals.

With a 7-0 aggregate victory, Toronto set an MLS record for the largest margin of victory in a two-legged series since the league started using the playoff format in 2003.

Toronto will face the Montreal Impact in the two-game conference finals, with Game 1 set for Montreal on Tuesday, Nov. 22. They are the first Canadian teams in league history to reach the conference finals.

Giovinco scored twice in the first 20 minutes, and Jozy Altidore added another first-half goal. In the sixth minute, Giovinco settled Altidore’s pass, spun his defender and sent it past a late diving Eirik Johansen. Giovinco had a penalty-kick goal 14 minutes later.

In the 30th, Altidore was the first to Eriq Zavaleta’s chipped pass over the defense and he blasted it past Johansen. Jonathan Osor scored in the 50th, and Giovinco capped the scoring in the 91st with his seventh goal in his last six games.

Impact advances: Ignacio Piatti scored his second goal of the game in the 85th minute and Montreal beat New York in Harrison, N.J., to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time.

Montreal won the two-game, total-goals series 3-1 after taking the opener 1-0 at home last week.

Piatti opened the scoring in the 51st minute, powering a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Luis Robles.

Eight minutes after New York tied it, Piatti iced it with his right foot. Dominic Oduro raced down the left sideline on a breakaway and waited for help. Didier Drogba trailed up the middle, drew two defenders and found an open Piatti for a close-range shot.

Bradley Wright-Phillips, who won his second MLS Golden Boot in the last three seasons with 24 regular-season goals, scored on a deflected shot in the 78th minute.

Rapids knock out Galaxy: Tim Howard made two saves in the penalty shootout and Colorado beat Los Angeles 3-1 in Commerce City, Colorado, on penalties to advance to the Western Conference finals.

Colorado won the regulation game 1-0, tying the two-game, total-goals series 1-1 and forcing the tiebreaker. Los Angeles won 1-0 at home last Sunday.

Colorado will face the Seattle Sounders in the Rapids’ first conference finals appearance since winning the MLS Cup in 2010. The two-game series will open in Seattle on Nov. 22.

Shkelzen Gashi scored in the 36th minute.

In the shootout, Steven Gerrard put Los Angeles in front, but the Galaxy missed their next three attempts. Dos Santos sent it over the crossbar, Howard denied Ashley Cole after a slow approach and Howard sealed it by diving to his right to block Jeff Larentowicz’s roller. Kevin Doyle, Sebastien Le Toux and Marco Pappa converted PKs for Colorado.