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RBNY's Henry ousts Toronto from playoff contention

Oct 2, 2011 - 2:05 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Toronto FC was officially ousted from MLS playoff contention on Saturday, after a late goal from Thierry Henry saw the Canadian club draw Red Bull New York 1-1.

In order to qualify for the postseason, Toronto needed to win its remaining games and still have other results end in its favor.

It appeared to be well-positioned to take all three points at BMO Field after Danny Koevermans put Toronto in front in the 50th minute, but a dramatic equalizer from Henry in the 88th minute saw the Red Bulls earn a share of the spoils.

Toronto came close to scoring just before halftime when Peri Marosevic unloaded a shot from outside the box, but his effort curled inches wide of the post.

The opening goal of the game eventually came for Toronto five minutes into the second half, as Koevermans beat New York's offside trap before slipping a shot past Frank Rost for his sixth goal of the season.

But New York snatched a point after a corner kick in the 88th minute fell to Henry. The French striker took the ball out of the air and turned in one motion before guiding a shot past Toronto goalkeeper Milos Kocic to salvage a point for the Red Bulls.

The point adds a slight cushion to New York's narrow lead in the wild card race, as it holds the final playoff spot with 40 points on the season. D.C. United, which faces the Columbus Crew on Sunday, is hot on New York's heels with 38 points.

The Red Bulls (8-7-16) return to action on Tuesday when it hosts the league- leading Los Angeles Galaxy at Red Bull Arena, while Toronto (6-13-13) faces a short layoff before it travels to PPL Park to face the Philadelphia Union on Oct. 15.