• Toronto FC 2 (Giovinco 45’+1’, Ricketts 90’+1’), Atlanta 2 (Martinez 53’, 67’)
GAME RECAP IN A SENTENCE
TFC came from behind to earn a point on the road against the best team in MLS, courtesy of a brilliant passing sequence that ended with Canadian Tosaint Ricketts notching the equalizer in injury time.
MAIN TALKING POINTS
1. Plenty of life still in TFC
In the buildup to this one, Michael Bradley stated he didn’t see this game as any kind of a passing of the torch moment – the TFC captain’s point being that while Atlanta is the best side in the league, the Reds are still the reigning MLS Cup champions and not a team that should be dismissed, even though they’ve struggled this year.
Boasting the best and the fourth-best defence in MLS ahead of this weekend, Atlanta has also proven to be tough to beat at home, winning seven of its 12 matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with only two losses. Toronto was on a bit of a resurgence thanks to a four-game winning streak. But those victories came against the second-tier Ottawa Fury in the Canadian Championship, and the Chicago Fire who, like Toronto, are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff race.
This was always going to be tough assignment, and questions still lingered about TFC, whether they’ve actually turned the corner, or whether recent results have flattered them. They needed a solid showing against the Supporters’ Shield-elect, not just in terms of putting valuable points in the bank, but also to send a statement to the rest of the league that they’re not dead yet. Coach Greg Vanney will no doubt be pleased with his side’s performance on Saturday, with the Reds taking a lead into halftime after thwarting the league’s best attack for much of the opening 45 minutes, and then coming from behind to earn a draw.
Save for a pair of lapses, Toronto’s bend-but-don’t break defence, led by Chris Mavinga, kept Atlanta’s powerful offence in check, while goalkeeper Alex Bono made a trio of outstanding saves when called upon. Bono came up big to prevent the home side from taking a 3-1 lead, a save that allowed Toronto to eventually tie the game. Vanney subbed out Victor Vazquez in the 81st minute and threw on Tosaint Ricketts in his place. It proved to be a turning point, as the game swung in TFC’s favour from that moment on. Sebastian Giovinco was allowed to drop back into midfield to collect the ball, while Ricketts kept Atlanta’s defence honest with his pace and athleticism up front.
Ricketts’ injury-time goal, following a sublime passing sequence involving Giovinco and Jonathan Osorio, was just reward for a Toronto team that marched into Atlanta and more than held its own against the best MLS has to offer. TFC is now unbeaten in five league matches, and you can’t help but feel they will take a great deal of confidence in battling Atlanta to a draw, and build on this momentum.
2. Auro Jr. returns, as TFC almost at full health
After sitting out the last six league games with a nagging hamstring injury, Auro Jr. returned for his first taste of MLS action and went straight back into the starting line-up.
The Brazilian fullback put in a solid shift, giving TFC plenty of attacking width down the right side, before being replaced by Marky Delgado in the 58th minute. He made a fabulous run into the box, latching onto a pass from Jozy Altidore before sending a low, dangerous ball across for Sebastian Giovinco to finish off, giving the Reds a 1-0 lead at halftime. Auro hardly looked out of place in his first game back since June 24, and picked up from where he left off before going down injured.
Auro’s return is another positive sign for a TFC side that has been hit by a rash of injuries this season, and it means the Reds are one step away from being back to full fitness. Only veteran defender Drew Moor, sidelined since April with a quad tear, remains out of commission, but he’s expected to come back in the next week or two.
3. Mavinga sees red for Toronto
Aside from letting Josef Martinez slip between him and teammate Eriq Zavaleta on Atlanta’s second goal, Chris Mavinga had a stellar outing for the Reds in quarterbacking the defence. Atlanta outshot Toronto 7-1 in the first half, but only one of those shots were on target, and Mavinga and his defensive cohorts were hardly overwhelmed. Mavinga made a number of smart defensive reads, blocks and interceptions, and his mere presence gives the midfielders in front of him the confidence to gamble and move forward in attack.
That said, Mavinga lost his head and was deservedly shown a red card just before the final whistle blew after shoving Atlanta’s Leandro González Pírez in the face as the referee tried to separate the two players. To be sure, Pirez sold it and went down as though he was shot, but Mavinga clearly lost his cool and should know better than to raise his hand to an opponent. The red card means Mavinga is suspended for TFC’s next MLS game, at home against New York City FC on Aug. 12. For a team that has struggled to get its injured starters back into the lineup, a suspended Mavinga is exactly the last thing TFC needs, especially as they fight for their playoff lives.
KEY MOMENT
90’+1’ GOAL! Toronto 2, Atlanta 2: At the start of injury time, Sebastian Giovinco fed an exquisite through ball into the box that Jonathan Osorio ran onto. Osorio played it first time across the box for fellow Canadian Tosaint Ricketts, who had Atlanta defender Leandro González Pírez draped all over home, to bundle home the equalizer.
BURNING QUESTION
Can TFC still make the playoffs? Saturday’s draw means Toronto improved to 23 points, but it remains six points back of the Montreal Impact and New England Revolution, who are tied for the sixth and final playoff spot in the East. The Reds have 12 games left in the campaign, with 11 coming against teams that are currently in a playoff position. Moral victories such as the one earned in Atlanta are certainly valuable. But simply put, Toronto needs genuine victories – not moral ones – as the season enters the home stretch.
INTERESTING STAT
Atlanta’s Josef Martinez now has 26 goals on the 2018 MLS campaign, one shy of the single-season mark jointly held by Roy Lassiter, Chris Wondolowski and Bradley Wright-Phillips. Martinez still has 10 games to break the league record.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Josef Martinez, Atlanta United: The Venezuelan forward earned the foul and converted from the penalty spot to draw the home side level, and then put his side ahead with a header from in close. He gave TFC’s back line plenty of fits with his speed and movement off the ball. Honourable mention to Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono.
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