NYCFC Set To Face Toronto FC In 2-Leg Eastern Conference Semis

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Now it's for real.

Set to embark on its first foray in the Major League Soccer playoffs, second-year expansion club New York City FC now knows which team it will face in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Toronto FC, the No. 3 seed in the East, will host Sunday's opening leg of the two-leg semifinals thanks to a 3-1 knockout-round win over the sixth-seeded Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night.

Sebastian Giovinco had a goal and two assists as Toronto earned its first playoff victory in franchise history. Jonathan Osorio and Jozy Altidore also scored for the hosts.

"(Toronto is) a very good team," NYCFC midfielder Tommy McNamara told the team's official website. "They only finished a couple of points behind us and they've just got Giovinco back who is a very strong player in this league.

"It'll be a tough game, going up there away because they have a large crowd and a great field," McNamara added.

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NYCFC, the No. 2 seed, will host the second leg of the semifinals on Nov. 6. The series will be decided by aggregate scoring, meaning the team that finishes with the most total goals in the two games will advance to the conference finals.

McNamara said NYCFC will be mentally and physically prepared to face Toronto, which it tied twice this season and has never lost to in five matches (2-0-3).

"We're very excited – we're happy with the way we ended the regular season at home, clinching the bye in front of our own supporters," McNamara said. "It was a high note to end the season and now this is crunch-time."

NYCFC secured a bye into the conference semifinals with a 4-1 win over Columbus on Sunday, breaking the game open with three second-half goals. David Villa iced the match in the 90th minute with his 23rd goal of the season.

Frank Lampard, now fully recovered from a leg injury, came off the bench to add two assists.

NYCFC has made a meteoric rise in MLS. During its inaugural season, it went just 10-17-7 and missed the playoffs. But under new head coach Patrick Vieira, City finished the recent regular season 15-10-9, three points behind the New York Red Bulls.

The top-seeded Red Bulls will find out Thursday night who they will face in the conference semifinals after No. 4 D.C. United takes on No. 5 Montreal.