After ending a three-match winless run in MLS, Atlanta United are within range of a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference as they head to BMO Field to face Toronto on Saturday for the first time this year.
The Reds have won their previous two home fixtures in all competitions, advancing to the final of the Canadian Championship, defeating CF Montreal 4-0, while the Five Stripes are a point back of Charlotte for the final playoff position, following a 2-0 win over Inter Miami.
Match preview
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The rebuilding process in Toronto has been slow and, at times, painful for this once great franchise that made it to three MLS Cup finals in between 2016 and 2019, winning once in 2017.
Just like in their first match this year against the New York Red Bulls, TFC looked asleep in the early going last weekend, conceding a goal to Lewis Morgan in the second minute.
Poor starts have proven to be a downfall for Bob Bradley's side throughout the campaign, conceding six goals within the opening half-hour.
When they are put under pressure, the Reds tend to make a lot of mistakes, and those errors usually end up in the back of their net, conceding in every one of their domestic encounters.
They have reacted well when going behind, but they leave their share gaps when pushing forward, which has resulted in them falling further behind in several games.
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In a campaign that has been anything but smooth sailing in Atlanta, interim boss Rob Valentino, filling in for the suspended Gonzalo Pineda, saw his side put together perhaps their most comfortable victory of the season, conceding three shots on target against the Herons.
It helped that the Five Stripes were able to jump out to an early lead, scoring after four minutes of play as they looked as composed and solid as we have seen all season.
Atlanta continuously create chances and are accustomed to having their share of the possession, generally around the 60% mark or more.
As the most expensive squad in MLS, there were enormous expectations for them heading into this campaign, and while injuries have played a factor, we have not seen enough consistency from them so far, failing to win consecutive encounters.
The Five Stripes have not won a road fixture since early April, losing four of their last five away matches in all competitions.
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Team News
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Ayo Akinola notched a brace to help Toronto get past Montreal at the Canadian Championship on Wednesday, with the other goals coming from Jesus Jimenez and Alejandro Pozuelo as Quentin Westberg picked up the clean sheet.
In their previous home fixture in league play, Pozuelo notched a pair of goals, while Deandre Kerr scored his second of the year.
Chris Mavinga and Noble Okello could be out again due to lower-body injuries, while Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty saw some action against the Red Bulls, replacing Kosi Thompson in the second half.
Last Sunday, Luiz Araujo and Josef Martinez both tallied for the third time in this campaign, moving into a tie for second in goals for Atlanta United alongside Dom Dwyer and Thiago Almada.
Earlier this week, the club announced the signing of defender Juan Sanchez Purata on loan from Tigres UANL, while adding goalkeeper Raul Gudino until the end of the season with an option to extend.
There are still plenty of injuries on the Atlanta side as Osvaldo Alonso (ACL), Dylan Castanheira (Achilles), Brad Guzan (Achilles), Miles Robinson (Achilles), Andrew Gutman (quad), Ronald Hernandez (MCL) and Machop Chol (leg), are all expected to miss this encounter.
Toronto possible starting lineup:
Westberg; Petrasso, Salcedo, O'Neill, Marshall-Rutty; Nelson, Pozuelo, Bradley, Priso; Jimenez, Akinola
Atlanta United possible starting lineup:
Rios Novo; Lennon, Franco, Campbell, Wiley; Ibarra, Hyndman; Araujo, Moreno, Cisneros; Martinez
We say: Toronto 2-2 Atlanta United
Atlanta have developed a habit of tallying early, though they have struggled to maintain that intensity away from home for 90 minutes.
For Toronto, they tend to react well and have shown more potency in the final third, so we expect if they suffer a setback, they will be able to recover.
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