Atlanta United allowed a goal in the final minutes of each half Saturday against Toronto in a 2-2 draw.
The lapses of concentration cost the team three valuable road points and are something the team doesn’t want to allow to become a trend. Atlanta United will host Chicago on Sunday.
The two goals scored by Toronto, one in the 43rd minute by Richie Laryea and the tying goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time by Brandon Servania, were the second and third goals allowed in the final minutes of a half by Atlanta United this season.
“I think it’s just staying locked in, understanding moments of the game a little bit more,” fullback Andrew Gutman said. “It’s almost like a good problem to have. You’re winning a lot of games, you’re putting yourself in great, great situations. Now, it’s (going) from becoming a good team to becoming an elite team. And, for us, it’s just those final moments staying more locked in maybe.”
Both of Toronto’s goals were helped by Atlanta United’s defense breaking down.
On the first, Laryea and two teammates formed a triangle near midfield. Standing near midfield and along the sideline – a prime area to press – Laryea split two Atlanta United defenders, Derrick Etienne and Caleb Wiley, who had moved to close him down, by passing to a teammate along the right sideline. Laryea continued his run, blowing past a third defender, Amar Sejdic, and a fourth, Santiago Sosa, who had moved to defend Federico Bernardeschi.
The first teammate passed backward to Bernardeschi, who laid off the ball for Laryea as he sprinted past the three Atlanta United defenders. Laryea dribbled on a line toward Atlanta United’s goal. Two Atlanta United players, Amar Sejdic and Matheus Rossetto, moved over but couldn’t catch him. A third, Miles Robinson, tried to move over to block the shot by Laryea that found the upper right corner.
On the second, which came on the last kick of the game, the sequence again started on the far side of the pitch near the sideline, a few yards on the opposite side of midfield from where the first goal started. Two Atlanta United players, Machop Chol and Brooks Lennon moved to press, only to be beaten by a pass into the space they had vacated.
Another pass went past a third Atlanta United defender, Luiz Araujo, into space for Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty. He hit a cross back into the 18-yard box for Servania, who had gotten past Santiago Sosa, and he scored.
“It’s soccer, so we know that those things can happen,” Sosa said. “We just have to be more attentive moving forward.”
The instinct to press in that area of the field is something that Atlanta United has worked on. However, understanding the situation might have prevented the second goal.
Manager Gonzalo Pineda had the team working on improving its focus during drills Wednesday, in which goals scored in the final 60 seconds counted double.
“It’s the player understanding where they need to be, but it’s also their teammate helping them,” Gutman said. “So when we give up a goal, it’s not like, oh, one person was out of position. No, it’s the whole team. We gave up a goal as a team.”
Striker update: Giorgos Giakoumakis didn’t train with the team Wednesday. Giakoumakis, who has scored four goals this season, instead did individual work that included an exercise bike, stretches, short sprints and some work with the ball.
Giakoumakis left Saturday’s game in the opening minutes of the second half with what manager Gonzalo Pineda described as a hamstring injury.
Attacking midfielder Thiago Almada, who didn’t play against Toronto as a precaution, trained with the team Wednesday.
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Atlanta United’s 2023 MLS schedule
Feb. 25 Atlanta United 2, San Jose Earthquakes 1
March 4 Atlanta United 1, Toronto FC 1
March 11 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte FC 0
March 18 Atlanta United 5, Portland 1
March 25 Columbus 6, Atlanta United 1
April 1 Atlanta United 1, New York Red Bulls 0
April 8 Atlanta United 1, New York City FC 1
April 15 Atlanta United 2, Toronto FC 2
April 23 vs. Chicago Fire FC, 4:30 p.m., FS1
April 29 at Nashville SC, 1:30 p.m., Fox
May 6 at Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
May 13 vs. Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m.
May 17 vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m.
May 20 at Chicago Fire FC, 8:30 p.m.
May 27 at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m.
May 31 vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m., FS1
June 3 at Los Angeles FC, 10:30 p.m.
June 10 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 21 vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
June 24 at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
July 2 vs. Philadelphia Union, 4 p.m., Fox
July 8 at CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 12 at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.
July 15 vs. Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m., FS1
Aug. 20 at Seattle Sounders, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 26 vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2 at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 vs. Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23 vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 7 vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 at FC Cincinnati, TBA
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