The scoreboard showed a draw, but Matchday 8 was a story of loss for Atlanta United as they dropped points in a 2-2 contest at Toronto FC.
Starting XI
Atlanta United Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Quentin Westberg; Brooks Lennon, Miles Robinson (C), Juanjo Purata, Caleb Wiley; Amar Sejdić, Santiago Sosa, Matheus Rossetto, Luiz Araújo, Derrick Etienne Jr.; Giorgos Giakoumakis
Toronto FC Starting XI (4-3-3): Sean Johnson; Raoul Petretta, Sigurd Rosted, Lukas McNaughton, Richie Laryea; Alonso Coello, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Brandon Servania; Jonathan Osorio, Federico Bernardeschi, Jordan Perruzza
The cards seemed to be stacked against Atlanta United heading into the match.
They were on the road for the second week in a row and playing in a stadium they don’t have a positive record in. This time missing two key players Brad Guzan and Franco Ibarra as he served his red card suspension. The cherry on top came as it was revealed with the release of the starting lineup that Thiago Almada would also miss the match through injury, despite traveling to Toronto.
Those omissions paved the way for new faces to get significant game time alongside an in-form old guard. New and old faces alike shone through on a night that was overshadowed by adversity.
First Half
Derrick Etienne Jr. picked up exactly where he left off from the NYCFC match providing a vertical threat with his runs in behind the defense. He was found early in the match by Luiz Araújo. The play that followed resulted in a corner.
From the corner, Brooks Lennon whipped in a dangerous ball that was met by Giorgos Giakoumakis who directed a looping header into the back of the net to open the scoring in favor of the visitors (Giakoumakis 1-0, 4′). That goal marked his fourth goal in four starts.
What followed was a back-and-forth contest. The Five Stripes remained on the front foot, pressing Toronto. Giako nearly caught out Sean Johnson with the press on a couple of occasions.
Giako would also nearly double their lead after a cross by Caleb Wiley, but his bullet header was straight at Johnson. It seemed that Atlanta United would settle into the match and dominate possession as they have all season.
Richie Laryea would reverse fortunes for Toronto in the 43rd minute. He received a pass from Bernardeschi with his first touch taking him on a menacing run toward the goal. After weaving his way to the edge of the box and with 4 Atlanta players around him, he fired a right-footed shot past Westberg at his near post (Laryea 1-1, 43′).
Second Half
Toronto made two substitutions at halftime as they looked to capitalize on the momentum gained at the end of the half. Ayo Akinola and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty came into the match in place of Jordan Perruzza and Alonso Coello.
The first half ended on a sour note and the second half opened in a similar manner. After making a lengthy pressing run, Giako went down with a noncontact injury, holding his hamstring. He could be seen on the broadcast grimacing and holding that area as the first half ended.
Miguel Berry entered his place in the 50th minute.
Atlanta responded positively after the substitution with a period of good play. Amar Sejdić found Etienne in space on the left side of the box who then cut onto his right foot and fired a curling effort just wide of Johnson’s goal.
Toronto has stretched vertically again as Etienne was on the receiving end of a through ball. After a touch, the ball was played out for a corner. The resulting corner found Santiago Sosa’s head at the back post but his header found itself over the bar.
Gonzalo Pineda changed the dynamic of the match with two substitutions in the 65th minute. Amar Sejdić and Caleb Wiley made way for Machop Chol and Andrew Gutman. Chol nearly made an instant impact but his first shot of the match was saved comfortably by the keeper.
Chol would find the goal in the 76th minute with a looping header similar to Giako’s goal in the first half. Gutman did well to find Araújo in space on the right flank, who then played in a cross curling toward the goal that Chol did well to redirect into the back of the net (Chol 2-1, 76′).
Toronto did not go away quietly. They found themselves with a free kick on the right edge of the box. Bernardeschi fired a whipping shot on target but it was placed directly at Westberg who parried it away.
Offensive reinforcements arrived moments after the goal as Lorenzo Insigne entered the match, for his first action since sustaining an injury during Matchday 1.
In response to Pineda, Luis Abram entered the match to provide increased stability in defense. A roaring Toronto attack would find the equalizer in the final seconds of the match.
Marshall-Rutty was on the receiving end of a slashing through ball from Jonathan Osorio. He played a first-time pass beyond a sliding Miles Robinson that found Brandon Servania darting into the box who made no mistake in slotting a left-footed shot past Westberg (Servania 2-2, 90+4′). The match began in glory but ended in agony.
Atlanta United will look to rebound as they return home to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to square off with the Chicago Fire, Sunday, April 23rd, at 4:30 pm EST.
Matchday 8: Atlanta United 2 (Giakoumakis 5′, Chol 76′) – Toronto FC 2 (Laryea 43′, Servania 90+4′)
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