Atlanta United winless streak reaches five with draw at Toronto

A penalty kick by Emmanuel Latte Lath in the 11th minute of stoppage time earned Atlanta United a 1-1 draw with Toronto on Saturday. The draw stretched Atlanta United’s winless streak to five matches. It was the latest goal scored in team history.

“I don’t think about results,” manager Ronny Deila said. “I think about performances. And this is one of our best performances away. It was a team that worked really hard, was a team that was organized, was a team that was disciplined and patient. But in the end we get a goal. We should have won the game, but we are not accurate enough in the last third of the pitch.”

The foul was won by sub Luke Brennan, who was kicked in the right knee by Charlie Sharp.

Deila said he wasn’t nervous that the penalty wasn’t going to be called.

“I don’t think we have a lot of things coming (our way),” Deila said. “So when you’re working hard over time to also get the reward today, we didn’t get the full points, but we get something.”

The draw saved what was about to be a demoralizing result for Atlanta United.

Drawing with D.C. United last week and the draw to Toronto cost Atlanta United a chance to gain more momentum against two fellow teams that are below the playoff line and below it in the small space that remains in the Eastern Conference standings. The Five Stripes (4-10-7) fell at least 10 points behind the nine teams that will qualify for the postseason and kept it winless on the road (0-7-4).

Between the results, the team announced that President Garth Lagerwey was taking an indefinite leave of absence because of a cancer diagnosis.

Saturday’s draw continued season-long trends. Atlanta United put just three shots on goal, two in the first half and the penalty kick the last, and gave up a goal early in the second half because of poor marking on a set piece.

Atlanta United’s Designated Players continued to have issues. Latte Lath’s goal was his first in 14 matches. Miguel Almiron hasn’t posted a primary assist since the season’s first match, didn’t put any of his three shots on goal, and created just one chance. Alexey Miranchuk created just one chance and didn’t put his only shot on goal. Toronto didn’t field a Designated Player.

Deila’s lineup included Jayden Hibbert, who made his first MLS start replacing Brad Guzan, whose consecutive starting streak stopped at 45 matches because of a fractured cheekbone suffered in last week’s draw at D.C. United. Guzan did make the bench. Hibbert played in 10 matches for Atlanta United 2 this season with two clean sheets, 19 goals against and 34 saves.

Hibbert said he learned he was starting Saturday morning.

“We were talking throughout the whole week about ... it seemed like he was expecting me to play the way he was encouraging me,” Hibbert said of Guzan. “But he’s like a father figure in my life. I get so much for him from him on the pitch. I mean, he’s extremely tense in the game of football, so everything he says I’m clued in on, for sure.”

The rest of the lineup included centerbacks Efrain Morales and Luis Abram, making their second consecutive starts as a group, fullbacks Brooks Lennon and Pedro Amador, midfielder Tristan Muyumba and Bartosz Slisz, back in the lineup after missing last week’s game because of yellow card accumulation, wingers Almiron, captaining the team for the first time this season, and Saba Lobjanidze, attacking midfielder Miranchuk, and striker Latte Lath.

Unlike last week’s numbing game against D.C. United in which Atlanta United put just one shot on goal, it came out with more energy reflected in quicker passing and more movement on Saturday. One result was Slisz forcing a save in the ninth minute with a shot that was blazing toward the top of the goal.

Latte Lath scored in the 21st minute but the goal was taken off because he was inches offsides. It would have been his first goal since March 29, a string of 14 appearances.

Latte Lath sent another shot inches wide off the far past in the 34th minute after good work by Almiron near the top of the 18-yard box to beat one defender before finding the striker with a short pass.

Hibbert passed his first test when he palmed away a short, hard shot by Theo Corbeanu in the 39th minute. It was Toronto’s first shot on goal.

Lennon forced Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson, a native of Lilburn, into another save just before the end of the first half. It was Atlanta United’s second and final shot on goal. Atlanta United finished the half with six shots, two on goal, and an expected goals total of 0.36. Toronto finished with eight shots, two on goal, and an expected goals total of 0.40.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute on a header at the back post by Deybi Flores, who got away from Muyumba on a corner kick. Hibbert had no chance to save the shot. The goal was the 15th allowed by Atlanta United between the 46th and 60th minute of matches. It hasn’t given up more than six in any other 15-minute segment.

With his team stuck on just two shots on goal, Deila subbed on Brennan for Lobjanidze in the 65th minute. Jamal Thiare replaced Muyumba in the 76th minute.

Hibbert finished with four saves. Deila said the group did a good job protecting him.

“I’m very, very proud of the team today, it’s a team that I want to see, and something I would see more of,” Deila said. “But this is the basics all the time: hard work, being organized, being disciplined and patient.”

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Atlanta United’s 2025 schedule

Feb. 22 Atlanta United 3, Montreal 2

March 1 Charlotte 2, Atlanta United 0

March 8 Atlanta United 0, New York Red Bulls 0

March 16 Miami 2, Atlanta United 1

March 22 Atlanta United 2, Cincinnati 2

March 29 Atlanta United 4, NYCFC 3

April 5 Atlanta United 1, Dallas 1

April 12 New England 1, Atlanta United 0

April 19 Philadelphia 3, Atlanta United 0

April 26 Orlando 3, Atlanta United 0

May 3 Atlanta United 1, Nashville 1