Atlanta United will host Toronto on Wednesday in the Eastern Conference finals of the MLS playoffs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. FS1’s broadcast will start at 8 p.m. You can listen to the game on the radio at 92.9FM. And you can follow my live coverage on twitter @DougRobersonAJC.
Atlanta United, which finished the regular season as the second seed with 58 points, advanced by defeating New England 1-0 and Philadelphia 2-0.
Toronto, which finished the regular season as the fourth seed with 50 points, advanced by defeating D.C. United 5-1 and NYCFC 2-1.
The teams met twice during the regular season. Atlanta United won the first 2-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on May 8. Toronto won the second game 3-2 at BMO Field on June 26.
Reviewing the games:
Atlanta United 2, Toronto 0
Goals from Julian Gressel and Hector Villalba carried the Five Stripes to their first victory in five tries against Toronto. Both goals were assisted by Josef Martinez in the first multi-assist game of his career.
It was Atlanta United’s third consecutive win.
“We feel like we are in a good rhythm,” captain Michael Parkhurst said after the game. “The confidence is growing, which is great. There’s a good mood in the locker room. We talked about wanting to keep that, wanting to build on it and keep the spirit going.”
Atlanta outshot Toronto 19-8, 5-0 on goal.
Atlanta United's starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Brad Guzan, Brek Shea, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Miles Robinson, Franco Escobar, Darlington Nagbe, Eric Remedi, Hector Villalba, Gonzalo Martinez, Julian Gressel, Josef Martinez.
Toronto's starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Alex Bono, Richie Laryea, Eriq Zavaleta, Laurent Ciman, Ashtone Morgan, Liam Fraser, Michael Bradley, Nick DeLeon, Alejandro Pozuelo, Jay Chapman, Ayo Akinola.
Toronto 3, Atlanta United 2
This was a crazy game that ended with Toronto's Alejandro Pozuelo converting a dubiously called penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time to give his team a 3-2 lead. Atlanta United won a penalty but Pity Martinez missed the shot high. Other goals were scored by Tsubasa Endoh in the first minute and Pozuelo. Martinez did score for Atlanta United earlier in the game, as did Gressel.
“I’m more frustrated and disappointed in the way we played for 90 minutes because it certainly wasn’t good enough,” Guzan said after the game. “We knew it was going to be a tough game. When you gift them a goal a minute into the game you’ve really got your work cut out.”
Toronto played Pozuelo as a false nine, which caused Atlanta United all sorts of issues on defense. It was the first time this season that Atlanta United allowed three goals in a league game.
Atlanta United took 18 shots to Toronto’s 15. Both teams put five on goal.
Atlanta United's starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Guzan, Parkhurst, Robinson, Gonzalez Pirez, Shea, Remedi, Nagbe, Pity Martinez, Gressel, Dion Pereira, Brandon Vazquez.
Toronto's starting lineup (4-1-4-1): Quentin Westberg, Laryea, Zavaleta, Ciman, Justin Morrow, Fraser, Jacob Shaffelburg, DeLeon, Marky Delgado, Endoh, Pozuelo.
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