TORONTO -- Jozy Altidore had a pair of second-half goals as Toronto FC routed the San Jose Earthquakes 4-0 on Saturday to take a step towards a Major League Soccer playoff berth.
Toronto's win, coupled with one of five other weekend scenarios -- including a Montreal Impact tie or loss to New England later Saturday night -- would clinch a TFC playoff berth with six games remaining in the regular season.
Victor Vazquez and Canadian substitute Jonathan Osorio also scored as league-leading Toronto (17-3-8) extended its home regular-season undefeated streak to 15 games (12-0-3) at BMO Field that dates back to last October.
Toronto FC goalkeeper Alex Bono made three saves for the clean sheet.
Marco Urena led San Jose (10-12-6) with two shots on target before he was subbed off in the 73rd minute.
Toronto FC dominated play in the first half, possessing the ball 69.7 per cent of the time and firing eight shots to San Jose's three.
TFC almost broke the game open in the seventh minute when a looping chip in from Vazquez went over an Earthquakes defender to Altidore, who headed the ball over San Jose 'keeper Andrew Tarbell. It was ruled offside, however.
Vazquez finally broke through in the 26th minute when Tarbell jumped to intercept a cross from Steven Beitashour but missed, letting the ball fall to the TFC forward's feet. Vazquez made no mistake, settling the ball down long enough to send it into the net with a quick shot.
In the 45th minute, Sebastian Giovinco had another excellent chance, putting a free kick over a defensive wall, with Tarbell punching the ball over the crossbar.
Osorio, who was raised in Toronto, subbed on for Giovinco at halftime. Giovinco was pulled as a precautionary measure with tightness in his quadriceps.
That change didn't slow down Toronto's unrelenting attack as Altidore redirected a through pass from Vazquez with his left foot past Tarbell in the 48th minute to make it 2-0. It was Altidore's 12th goal of the season and Vazquez's 15th assist.
Altidore struck again in the 64th minute, heading down a cross from Beitashour in a crowded box, bouncing it past Tarbell to the delight of the 29,050 in attendance. Altidore was subbed off after his second goal in favour of Edmonton's Tosaint Ricketts.
Before the smoke from the fireworks celebrating Altidore's goal could clear the field, Osorio found the back of the net to give Toronto a 4-0 lead. Osorio blasted in his shot from about five feet out of the penalty area, bouncing it past Tarbell in the 66th minute.
Things got worse for San Jose in the 76th minute as midfielder Darwin Ceren was shown a red card for his dangerous tackle on Toronto's Marco Delgado.
Notes: As part of Canadian Armed Forces appreciation day, General Jonathan Vance delivered the official game ball, with an honour guard from the army, navy and air force presenting the Canadian and American flags, while a CF-18 jet did a fly by of BMO Field. ... It was Toronto FC's sixth-straight sellout.
