Koffie scores in 60th as Whitecaps beat Toronto FC

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Gershon Koffie's goal in the 60th minute lifted the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 1-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday in the teams' season opener.

Koffie helped the Whitecaps win their opener for the third year in a row. He scored following some beautiful passing shortly after Vancouver took control of the play.

The Whitecaps won their first-ever MLS game against Toronto in 2011 and beat Montreal in last year's opener en route to becoming the first Canadian team to qualify for the league playoffs.

The loss spoiled the debut of new Toronto coach Ryan Nelsen, a recently retired English Premier League star and New Zealand international, who has undertaken several lineup changes in a bid to improve the team's 10th place finish in the Eastern Conference last year.

Updated March 2, 2013