Brawl breaks out after New York City tops Toronto 3-2

TORONTO (AP) — Rookie Malachi Jones and Andrés Perea scored second-half goals and Matt Freese made nine saves as New York City FC held on for a 3-2 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday night with a brawl taking place after the final whistle.

A melee ensued after the match involving players from both sides. Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson, a former New York player, was in the middle of it — seemingly trying to play peacekeeper.

There was bad blood between the two teams dating back to New York’s 2-1 win on March 16 when there was an altercation in the tunnel at halftime at Yankee Stadium.

New York's first-year coach Nick Cushing played down that incident when asked about it prior to the rematch, “There was nothing in it. It was two teams that are fighting for three points.”

Toronto's first-year coach John Herdman and captain Jonathan Osorio had a much different recollection.

Osorio said Cushing crossed the line with his talk in the tunnel and then it got physical.

“Then when we hear that the coach and three of their players corner a 19-year-old (player) of ours, by himself. That’s when there’s a problem,” Osorio said. “And I think that kind of carried over this game, probably from their side as well. … We were just letting them know that we didn’t forget about that.”

Osorio did not identify the 19-year-old but the age fits Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, who scored in the 7th minute at Yankee Stadium. Herdman said the player in question “said he got cornered and punched in the face.”

Herdman said there were no repercussions from the March game because “the cameras weren’t working in a certain area of the stadium,” a comment that drew a snicker from his captain.

Cushing denied hitting a Toronto player.

“I can honestly say as head coach — I’ve done 348 games — I’ve never ever laid a finger on a player,” he said after Saturday’s game when apprised of the Toronto accusations.

Herdman, however, also pointed the finger at Cushing.

“You don’t want to see those scenes in football but it’s a passionate group,” Herdman said. “There was definitely some bad blood that spilled over from the first game that involved their head coach.”

Santiago Rodríguez staked New York City (5-5-2) to a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick in the 25th minute. Rodríguez scored for a fourth time this season — sending a right-footed shot to the bottom right corner of the net following a hand-ball foul on Toronto midfielder Matty Longstaff.

NYCFC took a 2-0 lead into halftime on Jones' first career goal. Fellow rookie Hannes Wolf picked up an assist when Jones — a 20-year-old forward — scored in the 44th minute.

Toronto (6-5-1) pulled within a score early in the second half on an unassisted goal by Federico Bernardeschi in the 55th minute. Bernardeschi scored his first two goals of the season last week in a 3-1 victory over FC Dallas.

NYCFC regained a two-goal lead in the 78th minute on Perea's first score of the season. Wolf and rookie Agustín Ojeda notched assists. Ojeda's helper was the first of his career and Wolf's was his third in his first season.

Toronto again pulled within a goal when defender Raoul Petretta found the net for the first time in his career — in the 89th minute — with an assist from Longstaff.

Bernardeschi was tagged with a second yellow card two minutes after Petretta's goal, forcing Toronto to play a man down through stoppage time. Bernardeschi and Kevin Long will miss the next match — Long for yellow-card accumulation.

Freese finished one save shy of matching his career high.

Johnson turned away one shot for Toronto.

Toronto saw a three-match win streak come to an end. Toronto has gone from the worst team in the league last season to third place in the Eastern Conference at the beginning of the day. The club already has 19 points this season after finishing the 2023 campaign with 22.

Lorenzo Insigne saw his first action for Toronto since March 23. Insigne, who had not played since he suffered a thigh injury in a 2-0 win over Atlanta United, subbed in for Derrick Etienne Jr. in the 76th minute and missed his only shot.

NYCFC's win over Toronto in the first matchup earned Cushing his first victory and handed Herdman his first loss

NYCFC leads the all-time series 11-9-7. NYCFC has won the last four in the matchup by a combined 13-3 score.

New York City stays on the road to play the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. Toronto travels to play Nashville SC on Wednesday.

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Toronto FC's Nicksoen Gomis kicks the ball past New York City FC midfielder Hannes Wolf (17) during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto FC midfielder Deybi Flores (20) and New York City FC midfielder Andrés Perea (8) vie for control of the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio (21) forces New York City FC midfielder James Sands (6) to the turf during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto FC defender Sigurd Rosted (17) falls over New York City FC forward Malachi Jones (88) during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto FC forward Federico Bernardeschi (10) celebrates his goal against NYC FC with midfielder Matty Longstaff (8) and forward Latif Blessing (11) during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto FC forward Federico Bernardeschi (10) celebrates his goals against NYC FC with midfielder Matty Longstaff (8) and forward Latif Blessing (11) during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)z

Toronto FC forward Lorenzo Insigne (24) moves toward the ball in front of New York City FC defender Thiago Martins (13) during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto FC coach John Herdman, left, has words with the with officials after the team's MLS soccer match against New York City FC on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto FC forward Prince Osei Owusu (99) is restrained by team staff members after the team's MLS soccer match against New York City FC on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto FC coach John Herdman thanks the fans after the team's MLS soccer match against New York City FC on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto FC forward Prince Osei Owusu (99) is restrained by team staff members after the team's MLS soccer match against New York City FC on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algerians voted Saturday in an election to decide whether army-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune gets another term in office — five years after pro-democracy protests prompted the military to oust the previous president after two decades in power.

There is little suspense about the result with Tebboune expected to win easily. The question is more about how many voters cast ballots.

Tebboune said after voting that he hoped “whoever wins will continue on the path towards a point of no return in the construction of democracy.”

Polls closed late Saturday and vote counting was underway as Algerians awaited an announcement of the results. The country's election authority at 12:10 a.m. said that vote counting to so far suggested voter turnout was 48% in Algeria and 19.6% for precincts abroad — outpacing the country’s 2019 presidential election, where 39.9% of voters turned out to vote.

It's unclear whether Tebboune will consider such a figure a triumph. In the lead-up to Saturday, his backers and rivals all urged Algerians to come out and vote after boycotts and high abstention rates in previous elections marred the government's ability to claim popular support.

Algeria is Africa's largest country by area and, with almost 45 million people, it's the continent's second most populous after South Africa to hold presidential elections in 2024 — a year in which more than 50 elections are being held worldwide, encompassing more than half the world's population.

The campaign — rescheduled earlier this year to take place during North Africa's hot summer — was characterized by apathy from the population, which continues to be plagued by a high cost of living and drought that brought water shortages to some parts of the country.

“Uncle Tebboune," as his campaign called the 78-year-old, was elected in December 2019 after nearly a year of weekly “Hirak” demonstrations demanding the resignation of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Their demands were met when Bouteflika resigned and was replaced by an interim government of his former allies, which called for elections later in the year.

Protesters opposed holding elections so soon, fearing the candidates running that year were close to the old regime and would derail dreams of a civilian-led, non-military state. Tebboune, a former prime minister seen as close to the military, won. But his victory was stained by boycotts and election day tumult.

Throughout his tenure, Tebboune has used oil and gas revenue to boost some social benefits — including unemployment insurance as well as public wages and pensions — to calm discontent. To cement his legitimacy, Tebboune hopes more of the country's 24 million eligible voters participate in Saturday's election than in his first election when only 39.9% voted.

Many Algerians remain unconvinced that elections will usher in change.

Activists and international organizations, including Amnesty International, have railed against how authorities continue prosecuting those involved in opposition parties, media organizations and civil society groups.

Some have denounced this election as a rubber stamp exercise that can only entrench the status quo.

“Algerians don’t give a damn about this bogus election,” said former Hirak leader Hakim Addad, who was banned from participating in politics three years ago. “The political crisis will persist as long as the regime remains in place. The Hirak has spoken.”

Twenty-six candidates submitted preliminary paperwork to run in the election, although only two were ultimately approved to challenge Tebboune.

Both avoided directly criticizing Tebboune on the campaign trail and, like the incumbent, emphasized election participation.

Abdelali Hassani Cherif, a 57-year-old head of the Islamist party Movement of Society for Peace, made populist appeals to Algerian youth, running on the slogan “Opportunity!” Youcef Aouchiche, a 41-year-old former journalist running with the Socialist Forces Front, or FFS, campaigned on a “vision for tomorrow.”

Both challengers and their parties risked losing backing from supporters who thought they were selling out by giving the impression the election was democratic and contested.

Walking near a vote center in downtown Algiers, longtime FFS supporter Mhand Kasdi said his party had betrayed its ideals by putting forth a candidate for the first time since 1999.

“It is giving its backing to a rigged election,” the 55-year-old gas station manager said, adding that Aouchiche and Hassani “are going to help make the regime's candidate look good."

Voting in his hometown Saturday, Aouchiche called on Algerians to vote for him “to give young people the confidence to put an end to the despair that drives them to take the boats of death in an attempt to reach the other side of the Mediterranean,” referring to those who migrate to Europe.

Andrew Farrand, the Middle East and North Africa director at the geopolitical risk consultancy Horizon Engage, said both challengers were looking more at the 2025 legislative elections than this 2024 presidential contest. Because Algerian law funds political parties based on the number of seats they win in legislative elections, they hope campaigning now positions them for a strong 2025 performance.

“It’s a long game: How can I mobilize my base? How can I build up a campaign machine? And how can I get into the good graces of the authorities so that I can be in a position to increase my seats?” he said. “We’ve seen that in their choice not to overtly criticize president … paired with a very strong message to Algerians to come out and vote.”

Presidential candidate of the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), Abdelali Hassani Cherif, prepares to cast his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Presidential candidate of the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), Abdelali Hassani Cherif, prepares to cast his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Presidential candidate and leader of the FFS party, Youcef Aouchich, casts his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria. (AP Photo)

Algerian president and candidate for re-election Abdelmajid Tebboune speaks after casting his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo)

Election officials wait for voters inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A voter prepares to cast his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A voter prepares to cast her ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A voter prepares to cast his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Ballots showing presidential candidates inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A ballot showing Algerian president and candidate for re-election Abdelmajid Tebboune, inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Ballots showing the three presidential candidates are placed on a table inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)

A voter prepares to cast her ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Election officials wait for voters inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A voter poses for a photo with her inked finger after casting her ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

CORRECTS DATE - A voter prepares to cast his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A man walks past electoral banners of presidential candidate, including President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, center, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Algerian president and candidate for re-election Abdelmajid Tebboune delivers a speech during his campaign for the upcoming presidential election, in Oran, Algeria, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Str)