Atlanta United Vs Toronto FC: 5 key players to watch on Decision Day

Atlanta United have a lot to take care of Sunday in a huge match against Toronto FC. With the Supporters’ Shield on the line, here are five key players to watch.

There is a lot on the line this Sunday for Atlanta United, when they travel to face last season’s champions, Toronto FC. The club’s first trophy is right in their grasp, their manager just announced that he’s leaving at the conclusion of the season, and the team is looking for yet another MLS record. And they must achieve all of this without some key players.

Atlanta United was sitting pretty in the Supporters’ Shield race with four matches remaining and a key game against the New York Red Bulls. We all know what happened. Now they must face the consequences of that missed opportunity. With just a one-point lead over New York heading into the final match of the season, Atlanta must win to claim the club’s first trophy.

Whereas earlier this week the pressure was about claiming their first trophy, the team must do so with another added element: manager Tata Martino is leaving at the season’s conclusion. The announcement came on Tuesday after Martino informed the club of his decision after the team’s win on Sunday. Losing Tata is a big deal for both the organization and the league, and the lasting implications of this decision and announcement will be felt as soon as this Sunday. Will Tata’s decision unite the team for a trophy or two? Or will this decision cause the team to splinter in this final month?

Don’t forget that an Atlanta win will give the team 72 points on the season, good enough for an MLS record. Even a draw will secure the new record, breaking the “old” record of 69 points set by this same Toronto team just last season. The Reds will not give up easily and will look to protect their record, especially on their home turf.

See who to watch on this year’s Decision Day.

5. Josef Martinez

Last week, I highlighted Josef Martinez as a player to watch because of his “scoring rut.” Unfortunately, the Venezuelan international did not deliver a goal, despite the Atlanta win. Martinez can rebound this weekend against a team he’s already scored against a few times.

Martinez has seen Toronto twice so far in his MLS career. Last October, he scored in a 2-2 draw at home, while this past August, he scored a brace in another 2-2 draw, also at home. He missed last year’s match in Toronto while dealing with an injury.

It is an understatement to say that this Sunday’s match is one of the biggest in Atlanta’s short history. With Martinez being one of the club’s most important players, he must produce a strong performance to help the Five Stripes claim the Supporters Shield. This is especially true this Sunday, since Miguel Almiron will be missing due to injury and Hector Villalba will most likely be missing as well.

I am not sure if Martinez can find the back of the net. With just two goals in the last seven games, Martinez is actually enduring the worst stretch of his MLS career. Prior to this seven-game run, his previous worst seven games came when he scored four goals from June 10th to August 23rd. During that time, he also missed three matches because of injury. Martinez could do with a goal, for his confidence if nothing else.