Atlanta United vs. Toronto FC Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta August 4 - 4 pm ET MLS soccer.com preview here. AJC.com 4 Questions here. So coming into this season my friend and I earmarked those "must see" games for the year and this was at the top of the list. (I know - They're ALL must see!) The spectre of today's match-up may have changed but I think it's in a way become all the more critical as any must-see match. Toronto is in dire straits but has improved with the return of Jozy Altidore, so at any time they can revert back to something similar to the side that won last season's MLS Cup. Plus, Gio. Toronto all but needs to win out to make the playoffs, and even when they drop points it will be important for them to fight for a draw not only to take points from other teams but also to build confidence and show other team's the threat remains real. And based on past form they'll need to do this relying on their still-potent offense - The defense has been rather porous and teams have attacked them vigorously knowing the Reds might be a little fatigued. But make no mistake, this is still a talented side and with no major injuries affecting the roster they'll be coming full bore today. Win today and the tenor of their run-in looks very different in deed. Atlanta, meanwhile, comes in on a nice run of their own but with a few knacks impacting the roster and with the added distraction and fatigue from having (spectacularly!) hosted this weeks All Star game. Whether or not the like of Miggy, Josef and Parkhurst will feel the lag from their midweek dalliance is debatable, but at the least the majority of this team has had little time to focus on today's match compared to the norm. Zizzo now joins Nagbe and Garza among those who'll watch the remainder of the campaign from the bleachers, while Ambrose (injury) and Barco (flirtatiousness) are also unavailable for today's game. Thus, the defense needs to step up today and, most importantly, stay healthy and relatively card free. Atlanta has been riding high and I suspect everyone is now realizing the potential of what they can achieve. Both as a team and as individuals as some key elements (ahem, Almiron) look to position themselves for an extebded European holiday. They also know full well the twists the evolved in the standings last weekend that put top spot in the east back into Atlanta's control. Given that Atlanta's played more games than some of their peers and has more road games than home dates left, the team will want to sharpen their home form and look to secure more dance time at the Benz come post-season. Look for Remedi to charged with the rigor of keeping Gio checked tightly while Larentowicz will be trying hard to break up Toronto's attack at every turn. Stifle their ball control and Atlanta will have a better chance. And look for Josef to use the national stage to continue his run to the season scoring record. ATL 3-2 TOR
This (perhaps mini) trend of not being able to close out matches by either putting away chances or locking things down defensively is a bit worrying.
I'll take "Understatements for $600, Alex." I'm chalking yesterday's issues to the midfield combination, which were abysmal. Remedi and Kratz may be solid players in their own right but they were a mismatched pairing for a team as talented as Toronto. Having them in front of a defense without their preferred right back made matters worse, and as a result the Stripes left people open in a display that was eerily reminiscent of the frustrating Energy Drink FC match. Given those factors they couldn't leave any chance untaken. Alas. On the good side, if Miggy or Martinez finish their sitters in the first half this is likely a very different game, and barring a couple glaring mistakes Atlanta was the better team. Get Escobar and Barco back and they're trophy contenders again. Critical, as well, that they rediscover their home field verve. They seem to have more slack moments during the home matches, which is disconcerting. I'd hate to think MBS becomes a disadvantage in the playoffs.
LGP again involved in giving the opponents goals. He straight up gifted the first goal, and his mark scored the second. LGP is, to my mind, our weakest link. That being said, when Kratz got the start I told my wife we were in for a long game. He's decent enough against a mid-level team, but a Toronto firing on all cylinders is too much for him. Also, somebody other than Martinez needs to start scoring some goals. Almiron had a couple that should have been points on the board.
I am all in with the idea of someone other than Joseph scoring. Atlanta has many players capable of scoring, but right now, none of them seem to want the ball. When Martinez subs out, the team plays far less dangerously. It's like there's no one on the pitch that looks to score. Someone else needs to step up, do the work and put the ball in the net. The radio said that since Jul 9, it's been all Joseph. I honestly thought it had been longer than that.