Toronto FC followed up their Canadian Championship semi-final win over CF Montreal with a 2-1 victory at home to Atlanta United on Saturday.
After a slow start, TFC have been showing signs of adjustment under Bob Bradley recently and are now three games unbeaten in MLS play.
The Reds made a fast start on Saturday at BMO Field, pressing intensely and forcing mistakes from Atlanta United – one of which was punished with a Jonathan Osorio goal at the near post after just eight minutes.
From there, Atlanta started to impose themselves onto the game, dominating possession and trying to forge some chances of their own, though TFC’s backline held firm.
That was until the 57th minute when Atlanta forced a turnover and quickly got the ball forward to Luiz Araujo, who raced forward and beat Chris Mavinga before applying a cheeky finish beyond Quentin Westberg.
👏🇧🇷 #ATLUTDpic.twitter.com/V5AtgWKMdx
— Chris Smith (@CJSmith91) June 26, 2022
But Atlanta United simply couldn’t contain TFC, who showed more energy and inventiveness throughout. The Reds were rewarded in the 79th minute when Raphael Prso delivered a powerful first-time finish from the edge of the box after Marcelino Moreno’s interception came his way.
The Five Stripes had no answer, leaving Canada emptyhanded.
Here are the full player ratings from a lively encounter at BMO Field:
What. A. Strike. 💥 pic.twitter.com/smrasoDLpr
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) June 26, 2022
GK: Quentin Westberg – 5/10 – Beaten by a cheeky Araujo finish; one of just two shots on target from Atlanta United.
RB: Kosi Thompson – 6/10 – Was left exposed with Pozuelo staying high but did okay.
CB: Carlos Salcedo – 6/10 – Not as busy as his center-back partner but did fine well called upon.
CB: Chris Mavinga – 7/10 – Beaten by Araujo for the equalizer, undoing some excellent 1v1 defensive work prior to that. Still played a big part in a win.
LB: Luca Petrasso – 7/10 – Did well on both sides of the ball in the first half but was replaced 15 minutes after the break as he ran out of steam.
RM: Alejandro Pozuelo – 6/10 – Kept high up the pitch which caused a few issues for his defenders, but always looked dangerous even if his final ball didn’t quite come off.
CM: Jonathan Osorio – 8/10- Put in a strong 62 minutes, opening the scoring and moving the ball with precision and purpose.
CM: Michael Bradley – 7/10 – Another metronomic performance from Bradley at the heart of the TFC midfield.
RW: Jayden Nelson – 6/10 – Frustrated with his decision-making at times but made up for it with an assist. Brought off at half-time.
ST: Ayo Akinola – 7/10 – Didn’t get quite enough service or a clear look at goal, but had the Atlanta defense on edge with some lively running into the channels. Pressed well.
ST: Jesus Jimenez – 5/10 – Lively first half but faded after the break. Caught in possession in the lead-up to Atlanta’s equalizer.
SUB: Deandre Kerr (for Nelson, 46′) – 5/10 – A solid yet unspectacular second-half outing.
SUB: Ralph Prso (for Osorio, 62′) – 9/10 – An excellent goal from distance from the teenager after replacing the scorer of the opener.
SUB: Jacob Shaffelburg (for Jimenez, 67′) – 6/10 – Offered good pace and energy as the game became stretched.
SUB: Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (for Petrasso, 67′) – 6/10 – Didn’t offer a great deal in attack but put in some crunching tackles and defended well.
SUB: Shane O’Neill (for Akinola, 86′) – N/A – A late move to help TFC see out the game.
Final from Toronto. pic.twitter.com/dGiN5XBHEb
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) June 26, 2022
GK: Rocco Rios Novo – 5/10 – Caught out at his near post for TFC’s opener but commanded his box well after that. Could do nothing about the second goal.
RB: Aiden McFadden – 6/10 – Started brightly and handled himself well considering he was thrown in late due to a Brooks Lennon injury.
CB: Alan Franco – 4/10 – Turned his back on Osorio’s shot for the first goal. Continues to make critical errors at the back.
CB: George Campbell – 5/10 – Lost the ball in the build-up to TFC’s first but won it back for Atlanta’s goal. A mixed night all-round.
LB: Caleb Wiley – 7/10 – The best of Atlanta’s backline, causing TFC problems with his driving runs and dangerous crosses.
CM: Franco Ibarra – 5/10 – A bit of a comedown for Ibarra following his excellent performance against Inter Miami but still showing signs of development.
CM: Emerson Hyndman – 7/10 – Clean on the ball and broke up a lot of TFC moves before his lack of match fitness caught up.
RW: Luiz Araujo – 8/10 – In terms of talent, Araujo could definitely be an MVP contender in the future, if only his teammates can provide the platform. A wonderful dribble and finish to get Atlanta level for a short time.
CAM: Marcelino Moreno – 5/10 – Overhit absolutely everything in the first half but improved after the break and put in a number of dangerous crosses. Unlucky to see his interception run into the path of Prso for the winner.
LW: Ronaldo Cisneros – 4/10 – Was a passenger for Atlanta United, never got going.
ST: Josef Martinez – 6/10 – Absolutely starved of service but still managed to create some openings for his teammates.
SUB: Matheus Rossetto (for Ibarra, 64′) – 5/10 – Failed to inject much life into the Atlanta midfield.
SUB: Dom Dwyer (for Araujo, 82′) – 5/10 – Didn’t adjust to the pace of the game.
SUB: Amar Sejdic (for Hyndman, 82′) – 4/10 – A drop-off in quality from Hyndman.
SUB: Machop Chol (for McFadden, 82′) – 5/10 – Tried to drive at the TFC defense but was well-managed.
