Becher brace leads Whitecaps to 5-0 win over CF Montreal

Simon Becher scored two goals and added an assist to power the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 5-0 victory over visiting CF Montreal on Saturday night.

Becher got the start against Montreal after becoming the first Whitecap to sub in and score in his first two appearances in the previous two matches.

Brian White opened the scoring with a goal in the 38th minute on assists from Becher and Javain Brown.

Becher used passes from Ali Ahmed and Luis Martins to score in the 43rd minute and Julian Gressel found the net unassisted two minutes later to give the Whitecaps (1-2-3) a 3-0 lead at halftime.

Vancouver took a four-goal lead just three minutes into the second half on an unassisted score by Ahmed. Becher found the net for a second time — in the 59th minute — with assists from Brown and Pedro Vite to cap the scoring.

Yohei Takaoka did not have to make a save in earning the clean sheet for Vancouver. Jonathan Sirois saved four shots for Montreal (1-4-0).

Vancouver had played three straight 1-1 draws before routing Montreal. The LA Galaxy (2009) and Colorado Rapids (2015) are the only teams to tie 1-1 four straight times.

Montreal, which was idle last week, stays on the road to play the New England Revolution on Saturday. Vancouver remains home to host the Portland Timbers on Saturday..

Toronto FC lets 2-0 lead slip away

Italian star Federico Bernardeschi curled in a corner for a memorable opening goal, but Toronto FC squandered a two-goal lead and had to settle for a 2-2 Major League Soccer tie with Charlotte FC on Saturday.

Polish international Kamil Jóźwiak set up one goal and scored another to key Charlotte's second-half surge, helped by a stiff wind at its back at BMO Field in Toronto.

Toronto's Brandon Servania seemed to have delivered a carbon copy of Bernardeschi's goal off a corner from the other side in the 40th minute but the play was waved off for a foul on Charlotte goalkeeper George Marks.

Michael Bradley used his head to score off another Servania corner — TFC's eighth of the first half — in the 44th minute, a goal that survived video review.

And Jóźwiak tied it up in the 70th minute, beating Richie Laryea to knock home a Kerwin Vargas cross for his first MLS goal.