• Atlanta United 1 (Martinez 77’), Toronto FC 4 (Janson 9’, 83’; Delgado 21’; Giovinco 89’)
• Toronto closes out 2018 campaign with a rare win
• Argentine Lucas Hanson bags a brace for the Reds
TORONTO – The last day of the MLS regular season has been dubbed “Decision Day” by the league.
But even though the final verdict had long come down, Toronto FC put its best foot forward on Sunday with a 4-1 win over Atlanta United before 23, 895 spectators at BMO Field.
The victory doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things for Toronto, who officially finished the 2018 campaign in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a 10-18-6 record and 36 points. Instead, it offered only a brief respite from what has been an dismal and disappointing MLS campaign for TFC.
“It doesn’t make up for the season we had, but the effort and the execution was very good against a good team. We’ll take that for what it’s worth on the day and move forward as we move into an off-season where we have some time to get ourselves prepared for [2019] and take all the lessons we took from this year to prepare ourselves for next year,” Toronto coach Greg Vanney offered.
A year ago, the Reds began a magical run in the playoffs that ended with them hoisting the MLS Cup at BMO Field. Twelve months on they are outsiders looking in, having been officially eliminated from post-season contention weeks ago. How times change.
Despite Sunday’s result, TFC saw its name erased from the MLS history books as the New York Red Bulls earned a 1-0 home win over Orlando City on Sunday. In doing so, New York ended the 2018 MLS campaign with 71 points (TFC set the MLS single-season record last year with 69), and beat out Atlanta for the Supporters’ Shield, the trophy awarded to the team that finishes the regular season in first place.
Atlanta entered this game in first place with 69 points, but the loss combined with New York’s win meant it squandered its chance to win the Supporters’ Shield and break the point record.
“When you have the opportunity to beat a team, to deny them a trophy, to deny them [the record], for sure there’s some motivation there,” Vanney conceded.
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Toronto was without three key starters in defender Drew Moor (calf), midfielder Victor Vazquez (knee) and forward Jozy Altidore (ankle). Defenders Eriq Zavaleta and Auro Jr. did not dress for the game.
The home side stormed out of the gate by putting Atlanta under constant pressure and was duly rewarded for its positive play. Lucas Janson made a probing run down the right flank before firing a shot from just inside the box that deflected off Atlanta defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and beat goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
Marky Delgado doubled the Reds’ advantage when he beat Guzan with a low drive from roughly the same spot as Hanson’s goal off a feed from Canadian Jonathan Osorio.
Josef Martinez had a glorious chance to put Atlanta on the scoreboard just before halftime after being played in on goal. But the league’s top scorer snatched at his shot and hit the outside of the post to let Toronto off the hook.
Justin Morrow appeared to have made it 3-0 for TFC early in the second half, only to see his goal overturned by the Video Assistant Referee for offside.
Atlanta poured on the pressure after that and made it a one-goal game Martinez converted from the penalty spot. But any chance of an Atlanta comeback was squashed when Hanson beat Guzan with a low shot off a pass from Sebastian Giovinco.
Giovinco added a fourth goal in the final minute of regulation, scoring on a volley at the near post that Guzan should have saved.
TFC players immediately surrounded teammate Jason Hernandez after the final whistle. The 35-year-old defender, who entered the match as an injury-time substitute, was non-committal about his future when speaking to reporters after the game.
“I’ve played 14 years. I’ve loved every second of it. Now, it’s up to not only myself but [also TFC management] to have a conversation to see where we want go forward. I love being in Toronto, I love being here, it’s been great. I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez later added: “It very well could be my last game.”
Vanney seemed to suggest Hernandez won’t be back, though.
“He is an even better person than he is a player, which is an amazing attribute for him, because he had a hell of a career. He’s just a first-class guy,” Vanney stated.
NOTES: Prior to Sunday’s kickoff at BMO Field, a moment of silence was observed for the victims of the recent attacks in Jeffersontown, Kentucky and Pittsburgh… The Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps also failed to qualify for the post-season, marking the first time in league history that all three Canadian sides didn’t make the playoffs in the same year… This the fourth ever game between Toronto and Atlanta. All three previous meetings ended 2-2…