Ansu Toure's brace downs Toronto FC to close in on title

Whitecaps' Ansu Toure celebrates after scoring against Toronto FC during first half Nutrilite championship action on Tuesday. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

VANCOUVER - From his first touches of the pre-season, there's been no questioning Ansu Toure's talent. After a memorable Tuesday night for the Vancouver Whitecaps, there's no questioning his worth to his team.

The Liberian striker  struck twice in front of 5,688 fans at Swangard Stadium in a 2-0 victory over Major League Soccer side Toronto FC. If his first goal was huge, his second was monumental.

Toronto must now beat the Montreal Impact by four goals on June 18 in Montreal or the Whitecaps, of the United Soccer Leagues, win the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and advance to represent Canada in the CONCACAF Champions League.

A 1-0 score line would have left the door open for Toronto to beat Montreal 2-0 and force organizers to draw a name from a hat to break a series of ties.

Toure is blessed with skill but had yet to score this season, and often is caught trying to do too much.

Tuesday he did just enough on the ball and it proved to be everything Vancouver needed.

The 27-year-old brought in this season from Miami, opened the scoring in the 31st minute as Toronto goalie Greg Sutton tipped Wes Knight's curling shot from the right side, not over the bar but into harm's way five yards from goal, right to Toure.

Forward Marcus Haber had laid the ball of beautifully for Knight.

Toure's second came in the 81st minute. It was a screaming shot from 17 yards out on the left side that left Sutton stunned and the crowd elated.

Whitecaps forward Charles Gbeke, the best player on the field all night, laid the ball off for Toure.

The Whitecaps were the better team in the opening 45 but still had to consider themselves fortunate to escape a goal ahead.

Vancouver's goalkeeper Jay Nolly almost returned the favour for Sutton's miscue in the 35th, misjudging Chad Barrett's cross and scrambling to deflect it right into the heart of the penalty area.

No Toronto player was there, however.

Whitecaps defender Lyle Martin then had to race back in the 38th to clear Dwayne De Rosario's chip off the goal-line, and three minutes later Pablo Vitti slammed a shot off the right post on a partial breakaway.

De Rosario sent five or six perfectly-placed balls into the box in the second half alone but his teammates could not finish the job. Twice Barrett botched free headers - one dead on from five yards.

Vancouver played without suspended captain Martin Nash, with Gordon Chin taking his place in central midfield. As well, leading scorer Marlon James is still out with a hamstring injury.

Absent from TFC's lineup was their leading scorer Amado Guevara and speedy defender Marvell Wynne - away on international duty with Honduras and the U.S., respectively.

Starting goalkeeper Stefan Frei (foot infection) gave way to Canadian international Sutton.