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Atlanta United Vs Toronto FC: 3 things we learned – Wacky, wacky finish

By Josh Bouland

TORONTO, ON - June 26 In second half action, Toronto FC goalkeeper Quentin Westberg (16) keeps his eye on a last second penalty kick by Atlanta United midfielder Gonzalo Martinez (10) that went high and lost Atlanta the game.The Toronto Football Club (TFC) beat the Atlanta United FC 3-2 in MLS soccer action at BMO Field.June 26, 2019 (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - June 26 In second half action, Toronto FC goalkeeper Quentin Westberg (16) keeps his eye on a last second penalty kick by Atlanta United midfielder Gonzalo Martinez (10) that went high and lost Atlanta the game.The Toronto Football Club (TFC) beat the Atlanta United FC 3-2 in MLS soccer action at BMO Field.June 26, 2019 (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – June 26 In second half action, Toronto FC midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo (10) celebrates his late game penalty kick to win the game.The Toronto Football Club (TFC) beat the Atlanta United FC 3-2 in MLS soccer action at BMO Field.June 26, 2019 (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – June 26 In second half action, Toronto FC midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo (10) celebrates his late game penalty kick to win the game.The Toronto Football Club (TFC) beat the Atlanta United FC 3-2 in MLS soccer action at BMO Field.June 26, 2019 (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /

2. Sluggish play

The Five Stripes looked sleepy to start the match, their sluggish demeanor led to Toronto’s opening goal. The team turned things up a notch once they were down, especially in the five minute period where they scored twice to take the lead, but there were a couple of other moments in the match when Atlanta looked a step behind the action.

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This was especially apparent in the closing phases of the match. For the last 20 minutes or so, Toronto dominated and created some good opportunities to score. Their best came on a wonderful pass from Alejandro Pozuelo that found teammate Nick DeLeon who rocketed the ball off the crossbar. A few minutes later, a breakdown in Atlanta’s defense allowed Pozuelo to attempt a header in the box that he just barely put over the crossbar.

The most glaring opportunity Atlanta gave Toronto came in stoppage time, as Richie Laryea was tripped by Florentin Pogba and Brek Shea. If Atlanta hadn’t allowed Laryea to get into the box and if they hadn’t allowed the other Toronto attackers to find Laryea in the box, the penalty wouldn’t have been called. Instead, because of Atlanta’s slow reactions and poor defending, Toronto found the win.

If those examples aren’t enough to highlight just how slow Atlanta seemed, there’s also this statistic: It was the first MLS match this season that Atlanta allowed more than two goals. Atlanta’s defense has been formidable this season, but on Wednesday night, they were poor. That, in the end, is why they lost.

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