LIVE: Atlanta United 3-2 Toronto FC – Game thread, preview and how to watch
live game thread
74′ – GATE ATLANTA UNITES. Thiago Almada makes it 3-2 for Atlanta.
67′ – TOR TORONTO FC. FEDERICO BERNARDESCHI MAKES NO MISTAKE FROM THE PENALTY POINT, HE SCORES AGAIN FROM 12 METERS.
65′ – PENALTY FOR TORONTO FC. Let’s see if the call stands this time.
62′ – TOR ATLANTA UNITED. Purata makes a pillar out of it.
52′ – TOR TORONTO FC. THE TWO FORWARDS COMBINE AS AYO AKINOLA STUCK WITH THE GAME AND PUT THE BALL INTO AN EMPTY NET.
48′ – TFC binds it almost immediately. A terrific run from Richie Laryea as he sliced the ball back to Jiménez, the Spanish striker firing just wide of the net.
47′ – TOR ATLANTA UNITED. A John Purata header gives the hosts a 1-0 lead.
46′– Reds double substitutions with Jesús Jiménez and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty coming on for Noble Okello and Criscito.
HT – Atlanta United 0-0 Toronto FC.
42′ – Mimmo Criscito uses his experienced IQ to win a free kick, works every time.
38′ – After a long review, the call was reversed.
34′ – PENALTY AGAINST TFC AFTER A HANDBALL IN THE BOX BY ATLANTA.
33′ – A powerful shot from Araujo is fired at Westberg, who parries him out of harm’s way.
21′ – A shot from Araujo is blocked by Okello and goes wide for another Atlanta corner.
20′ – A shot from Santiago Sosa is blocked and goes out to the corner.
12′ – WHAT A SAVE BY WESTBERG, HE DENIES LUIZ ARAUJO FROM THE PENALTY POINT.
11′ – Penalty for the hosts after Shane O’Neill brought Brooks Lennon down in the box.
9′ – Atlanta almost scored the first goal of the game. Defender Andrew Gutman worked his way down the left flank into the penalty area and his swing went just over the bar.
1′ – And we’re headed to Atlanta!
6:55 p.m. EST – Don’t forget to submit your final scores in our prediction league!
6:50 p.m. EST – Quentin Westberg starts his first match online since July 13th.
6:35 p.m. EST – TFC are without a win in their last two games, their last win coming away in Charlotte, where they won 2-0.
6:30 p.m. EST – Toronto FC travel to Atlanta, Georgia for the first time this season to play Atlanta United FC. The last meeting at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was a 1-1 draw, goals scored by Luiz Araujo and Jordan Perruzza.
start XI
Head coach Bob Bradley makes three changes to Toronto’s starting XI after Sunday’s loss to CF Montréal. Quentin Westberg starts as Alex Bono is benched, Lukas MacNaughton comes on for Chris Mavinga and Lorenzo Insigne misses this game as he is currently dealing with family matters. Mark-Anthony Kaye replaces the Italian while Jayden Nelson moves to the wing.
Josef Martinez was handed a one-game ban by his club following an altercation with head coach Gonzalo Pineda. Former TFC forward Dom Dwyer starts.
Game Preview about Adam Palermo
Toronto FC take on Atlanta United on Saturday night in hopes of recovering from a defeat at the Canadian Classique.
That 4-3 defeat was a punch in the gut, to say the least. Playing against your biggest rivals at home is never ideal. But giving up a two-goal lead and watching your playoff dream fade is truly disastrous.
After going 4-1-3 in 8 MLS games leading up to last weekend’s debacle, Toronto seemed to have turned a page. Unfortunately, against CF Montréal, the team seemed to revert to old habits. Sloppy defending, disappointing goalkeepers and a lack of diligence dogged the Reds and likely reminded fans of the team’s early and mid-season form.
The Reds need to shift their focus to their next game, which will take them to ATL. Toronto defeated Atlanta United in their game earlier in the year, with a late winner by Ralph Priso dividing the teams at BMO Field.
Bob Bradley’s group will be understaffed for their visit to the South, with key players left out and the status of others remaining unclear.
Chris Mavinga and Jonathan Osorio are out on Saturday, with Deandre Kerr also listed as questionable. Osorio will miss his fourth straight game after not playing for his club since the 2-1 defeat to Inter Miami on August 20. Lukas MacNaughton is likely to start alongside Shane O’Neill in place of Mavinga, who was substituted by Montreal in the half-time game.
The availability of the three Italians in the TFC squad also remains unclear for the duel with Atlanta. Lorenzo Insigne and Domenico Criscito missed Thursday’s practice session due to a family matter that Insigne is struggling with. Federico Bernardeschi trained alone that day, according to Bradley.
Mark-Anthony Kaye could return to the starting XI after playing off the bench on his return from injury last time out. The Canada international has only played three games for Toronto FC, most recently against Charlotte FC on 23 July.
Finally, Alex Bono could be benched in favor of Quentin Westberg after Bono’s underperforming derby day. Bradley appeared unhappy with the American goalkeeper’s recent performances when speaking after the Montreal game.
Atlanta United go into Saturday’s matchup in poor form. The Five Stripes have had one win in their last six games and lost the last two. They are expected to miss the playoffs for the second time in the fledgling franchise’s history.
To make matters worse, Josef Martinez, the club’s all-time top goalscorer, misses a chance to play against TFC. The Venezuelan striker has been banned by his club for a week for behavior that is harmful to the team.
The 2018 MLS MVP hasn’t managed to match the heights of previous league campaigns as head coach Gonzalo Pineda doesn’t give him many starts. He still leads his team with eight goals in 12 league starts.
In Martinez’s place, Ronaldo Cisneros had to step on the plate and carry the load. The Mexican has started 12 games for Atlanta United and is likely to continue that trend against Toronto FC on Saturday.
Martinez’s fringe role, along with the long-term injuries of goaltender Brad Guzan and defender Miles Robinson, have kept Atlanta from competing with the best in the MLS this season. They can get some positive results in a dismal season, overtaking Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference standings if they win against the team that defeated them in the 2019 MLS Cup playoffs.
game details
Opponent: Atlanta United
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Watch: TSN
Stadion: Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA.