Toronto FC started the season with back-to-back wins for the first time in franchise history with a 1-0 victory over DC United in front of a sellout crowd at BMO Field. Jermain Defoe put forth another Man of the Match performance scoring the match winner in the 60th minute. Defoe jumped on a poor defensive clearance after a Gilberto shot on the break and slotted into a wide open net for his third goal in two matches. It was a feel good day for the long-suffering Toronto FC supporters. The poor weather held off, and the sun even came out shortly before Defoes goal. The noise, the atmosphere, the smiles were back at BMO Field and theres good reason to believe more good times are on the horizon on the lakefront in downtown Toronto. Off-season hype has turned into regular season production. The match lacked the speed and tempo of the opening game win in Seattle but had similar combative elements and superior team shape, boding well for further progression as this group of new players continue to gel. Here are five thoughts on Toronto FCs home opening victory. Determined Defending – The group was simply dominant, worthy of the clean sheet. Proven MLS goal scorers Eddie Johnson and Fabian Espindola were forced to fall deep to get involved in the play. Pushing attacking players far away from Julio Cesars goal has been trademark through two matches. Absolutely no space was given. The partnership of Steven Caldwell and Doneil Henry has provided stability the team has lacked in recent seasons. They have proven an ideal duo to lead from the back – experience paired with sheer athleticism. Theres a lot to like. The off-season addition of Justin Morrow flew under the radar, yet the left-back has been among the teams best, a rock down the wing. And Mark Bloom has maintained positional integrity, solid on the night. Although DC United held 63 per cent of possession, TFC limited their opposition to only one legit goal scoring opportunity and two shots on goal. Last week in Seattle, the Sounders only had two truly good scoring opportunities. Keeping the possession to the outside is critical, with Caldwell and Henry being monsters in the air in defending crosses. It must be said goalkeeper Cesar hasnt been caught out of position, creating calmness at the back. Overall, the early season returns as a team defensively have been superior to expectations. Imperfect Pitch – The long and brutal Toronto winter made for soft, muddy and bumpy conditions, making it difficult to play the ball on the deck. Toronto FC took very few chances in their defensive end, choosing to clear more often than maintaining possession. This will have to change as the season goes on. Possession is critical to dictating the tempo and flow, while bringing Torontos skill players into the game. There was little flow Saturday. Im not sure if TFC will ever be a dominant possession team. Good news however, they are always dangerous on the counter. They have pace down the wings and creative movement up front through pacey strikers. No matter the conditions, this team will create chances. Give kudos to the team for adapting from one extreme on turf a week ago to succeeding on a soft, slow, choppy surface in Toronto. Defoe/Gilberto Potential – The duo is a work in progress but there is much to get excited about. Defoes resume and early production speaks for itself. Head Coach Ryan Nelsen commented post-match, "If I was Roy Hodgson, Id pick him in a heartbeat" when asked about his potential World Cup inclusion. If he continues on this kind of form, Hodgson will have a tough time keeping him out of his England side in a tournament all about timely goal scoring. Gilberto was always the mystery heading into the season. The 24-year-old designated player is a relative unknown commodity, but did score 14 goals in Brazil last season. His pre-season prediction of scoring 25 goals may be too ambitious, but he showed boatloads of promise in his Toronto FC debut. His movement off the ball is intelligent. And although 510, the striker plays much bigger, regularly getting his body in between the ball and his defender. His set up on Defoes chance off the post in the 42 minute was a well-timed run finished with proper service low to the front post. Gilberto doesnt speak English: another hurdle to developing chemistry with Defoe but both players have natural instincts. This relationship will be fun to watch as it develops. Referee Inconsistency – The replacement officials a week earlier did a better job than Silviu Petrescu and his crew Saturday. Regular MLS officials went back to work this week with the same inconsistencies in their play call that has frustrated MLS onlookers for years. Petrescu was a step slow throughout the match (literally when bowled over by Michael Bradley), but its a lack of consistency that will drive players crazy. In the second half, Alvaro Rey was taken down after beating two defenders down the left wing – no card was shown, yet moments later down the right hand side, Davy Arnaud was cautioned for taking down Jonathan Osorio on a similar play. Players, coaches and fans alike need to be clear on how a match is going to be called. The overall performance Saturday was subpar. Bravo, Bradley – Toronto FCs number four covers an incredible amount of ground. The pressure he puts on the ball sets the tone, giving little time or space for his centre-midfield opponents. There wasnt much room in the centre of the field Saturday, but Bradley expertly used what little he had, creating both short and long using his wingers to near perfection. Its the edge, blue-collar mentality that will easily win over supporters. The clash of heads with Arnaud that sent the DC United midfielder out of the game was a late challenge. Bradley was lucky not to be cautioned. But it was a challenge hed never back out of. Its not in his DNA to back out of 50-50 balls. The commitment is true leadership by example. With a gash split open on the back of the head, Bradley received some quick treatment, had a bandage cover the wound, and was back on the field, bossing the play and being combative as ever. The American international will continue to be the straw that stirs the drink. Its hard to imagine Toronto FC now without his presence. Lets wait until June to deal with that problem. gareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca@WheelerTSN Jakob Chychrun Jersey .J. -- Having Ondrej Pavelec earn his 100th NHL win and seeing Mark Scheifele and Evander Kane break goal droughts were nice highlights for the Winnipeg Jets. Darcy Kuemper Jersey . -- Mixed martial arts fighter Cristiane Justino Santos has been suspended and fined for testing positive for steroids. http://www.officialcoyotesfanstore.com/ ... es-jersey/. Bach is in Rome for the European Olympic Committees general assembly and meetings with Pope Francis. He also visited with Italian Premier Enrico Letta. "The prime minister appeared to be interested in a bid from Italy for 24, because he has realized that the games can serve as a catalyst for development for a city and a country," Bach told The Associated Press on Saturday. Dylan Strome Jersey . Wheeler said Kane was just making a joke that was misunderstood and misinterpreted by "Winnipeg folks" and the media once again. Wheeler repeated that he believes Kane is a player who has the ability to help the Jets get to the next level as they try once again to reach the playoffs in 2014. He made the comments initially in an interview, when asked how the Jets could compete in the Central Division with teams that have made some high-profile off-season signings. Oliver Ekman-Larsson Jersey . Beanballs were the theme Friday night as the Red Sox and Rays had another AL East rumble, with Boston earning a 3-2 victory on A. TORONTO -- It goes down as a comfortable win. But it was far from an impressive performance. "We set basketball back 15 years in the first half," Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey quipped after his team defeated the Orlando Magic 105-90 at the Air Canada Centre Sunday night. "But like I told our guys, were going to have a lot of games where were going to have to grind it out," Casey said. "For whatever reason, we struggle in the first half and then come through, turn it on. "But I also think thats a little bit of growth on our part." After shooting a woeful 41.7 per cent from the field in the first half, the Raptors shot 12-for-14 in the third quarter to blow the game open on the way to win their second straight and fifth in six outings. "Just coming out with a different kind of intensity," point guard Kyle Lowry said when asked about the key to turning things around in the second half. "Weve got to figure out a way to start the game the way we start third quarters. "Thats how weve got to come out from now on." Lowry had 17 points in the third as the Raptors (31-25) widened a three-point halftime lead to 15. Lowry, who was just 1-for-7 from the field in the first half, hit all five of his attempts in the third quarter. He had four from beyond the three-point arc in the period, including a 25-footer at the buzzer which brought the crowd of 17,435 to their feet. Lowry scored the final 14 points for the Raptors in the third quarter and the first two of the fourth quarter as Toronto stretched the lead to as much as 18 points. Toronto is six games above .500 for the first time since Feb..dddddddddddd 24, 2010, when they were also 31-25. Facing the struggling Magic (17-41), the Raptors were uncharacteristically sloppy, turning the ball over 24 times, which led to 25 Orlando points and allowed the visitors to keep the game close. "Were not that good of a team to just ease our way into the game," Lowry said. "Weve got to come out and play with our hard-nosed and hard-headed intensity from the start." Lowry scored 28 points, including four three-pointers to run his career-high mark to 134 this season. DeMar DeRozan added 24 points for the Raptors, who had five players score in double-figures. Amir Johnson left midway through the third quarter with what was described by Raptors personnel as a right ankle sprain. He had 12 points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes before leaving. Casey said it didnt appear Johnson hurt it as badly as earlier in the season when he missed two games. Tobias Harris matched Lowrys 28 points to lead Orlando, which fell to 3-26 on the road. It was the Magics 15th straight loss away from home. The Raptors led 19-14 after the first quarter; 44-41 at the half and 80-65 going into the fourth. "You cant put your finger on the slow starts," DeRozan said. "Maybe we like a challenge sometimes by putting ourselves in a tough situation, so we can fight our way out. "We have to stop that and understand that we have to come out of the gate, so we dont make the game that hard on us." 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