When Atlanta United were eliminated from playoff contention after losing to NYCFC on Wednesday but other results assured they’d avoid the wooden spoon, all the Five Stripes could hope for in their final two matches was to play spoiler.
They accomplished that task in emphatic fashion with perhaps their best performance in what has been a season to forget, a 3-1 win over Toronto FC in their home finale on Saturday that also eliminates Toronto from playoff contention.
Toronto needed a win and some help to keep their already-faint playoff hopes alive. They initially matched the urgency of their predicament with a dominant opening few minutes of the match, highlighted by Theo Corbeanu forcing Lucas Hoyos into a point-blank save inside five minutes. But Atlanta weathered the storm and even thought they’d pulled ahead through Breel Embolo in the 10th minute before Embolo was called offside. From there, Atlanta smelled blood, and TFC were barely able to lay a finger on them the rest of the way.
Atlanta eventually got the opening goal their domination deserved with Miguel Almirón’s team-leading seventh tally of the season in the 22nd minute. And in a season where reliable performances have been few and far between, one of Atlanta’s consistent bright spots in homegrown Cooper Sanchez finally got his reward with his first MLS goal to double the advantage in the 40th minute. Sanchez’s strike punctuated a first half in which Atlanta were certainly better statistically, outshooting Toronto 5-1, but where their dominance shone through primarily via the eye test.
The Five Stripes didn’t skip a beat coming out of the break, as Alexey Miranchuk also scored his seventh of the year in the 51st minute after pouncing on Almirón’s rebound off the post. Atlanta refused to take their foot off the gas even after putting the game beyond reach. They probably should’ve made it 4-0 in the 77th minute, but Embolo, who squandered multiple chances a player of his caliber would expect to finish in their sleep and was just about the only Atlanta player with a poor day at the office, missed both a one-on-one breakaway and the resulting open-net chance. Those misses quickly proved costly as Lewis Morgan gave the visitors a lifeline just two minutes later, which seemed to provide a spark as it allowed Toronto their first spell of sustained pressure since the opening whistle and gave them the slightest hope of a comeback to get the result they desperately needed. Ultimately, though, Toronto’s valiant push was too little too late as Atlanta held on for the win to finish a perfect record against Canadian opposition this season and send the Mercedes-Benz Stadium crowd home happy one final time in a campaign where that hasn’t happened very often.
In truth, that final score of 3-1 greatly flatters Toronto. Atlanta took 19 shots to Toronto’s 12 (and eight on target to four) and generated 3.4 expected goals to the Reds’ 1.7. Atlanta were unable to create more separation in part due to their Swiss superstar’s wastefulness and in part due to a fantastic performance from TFC goalkeeper Luka Gavran, who made five saves and had several other key clearances to negate promising attacks.
While this result is of very little consequence in what has frankly been a dismal season for Atlanta, the performance builds on a wider trend of Atlanta looking noticeably less hopeless following a host of midseason arrivals, which head coach Tata Martino will look to build upon next season with a fresh start and a full offseason and preseason to integrate new players.
“This result serves us, because now we know as a coaching staff that we can’t demand less of the players because they’ve shown us that they’re able to do it and do it for a longer period,” Martino said. “It’s good to do this at the end of the season… but I regret not being able to do it earlier and for longer during the season.”
Atlanta won’t have to wait long to put this slog of a season in the rearview mirror and look towards the future, as they head to New Jersey on Decision Day next Saturday to face the New York Red Bulls, who are also also out of the playoffs and denied Atlanta another chance to play spoiler after squandering a 2-0 lead and the chance to upset runaway Supporters’ Shield winners Nashville SC.