Atlanta United defeated Toronto FC 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field. Second-half goals from Alexey Miranchuk and Tristan Muyumba are what lifted Atlanta to its first road win of the season. Atlanta’s Cayman Togashi made his first MLS start as well.
After entering halftime scoreless, Atlanta took the lead in the 48th minute from a direct free-kick by Miranchuk. After Jay Fortune was fouled at the edge of the box, Miranchuk placed a left-footed effort perfectly over the wall and into the top-left corner of the net. The goal made it his fifth of the season.
Muyumba added a second goal for Atlanta in the 67th minute, capping off a great team attacking sequence with a first-time finish into the top corner. It started with Miranchuk, Cooper Sanchez, Fortune, and Muyumba all combining in the attacking half to leave Sanchez free, sprinting towards the top of the Toronto box. The midfielder played the ball ahead to Fafa Picault, who laid the ball off for Muyumba. The Frenchman curled a left-footed shot from just inside the box into the right corner.
Toronto cut the lead in half in the 71st minute when Emilio Aristizabal finished a cross from Kobe Franklin with a powerful header into the top corner.
“We controlled the game well,” said Atlanta United head coach Tata Martino after the match. “In the second half, we were more concrete in front of goal, but except for an important stretch after the 2-1, we had lost control of the game.”
Atlanta United (2-7-1, 7 points) returns to action Tuesday, April 28, when it travels to Mecklenburg County Sportsplex to take on Charlotte FC in the Round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup (7:00 p.m. ET, Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, 92.9 The Game). All Atlanta United MLS matches are available on Apple TV.
-Jon Jones
Photo: Courtesy of ATLUTD