Reds get burned on defence, tie again
Vazquez sets up both TFC goals, but Reds fail to cash in winner versus 10-man Atlanta
Hector Villalba scored twice and Atlanta United survived being a man down for the last 15 minutes to tie Toronto FC 2-2 in MLS play Saturday night.
Toronto (1-0-4) remains unbeaten this season but may rue the defensive lapses that led to the Atlanta goals before 26,812 on a pleasant evening at BMO Field. Expansion side Atlanta (2-1-2) extended its unbeaten run to four games.
Down 1-0 after 15 minutes, Toronto pulled ahead 2-1but gave up the tying goal two minutes into the second half.
Sebastian Giovinco and Justin Morrow scored for Toronto. Spanish playmaker Victor Vazquez had two assists as his influence continued to grow on the Toronto attack.
Giovinco, who had been blanked in his three previous games this season, was lively all night and could have had four goals in the first half alone. He almost found Jozy Altidore for the winning goal in the dying minutes but the burly forward couldn’t get a foot to the ball.
Miguel Almiron, a 23-year-old Paraguayan midfielder, looked impressive in pulling the strings for the visitors.
Atlanta’s Yamil Asad was sent off in the 75th minute after referee David Gantar ruled that he used an elbow to floor Eriq Zavaleta. Replays seemed to suggest that Asad was just trying to get past the Toronto defender.
Atlanta assistant coach Jorge Theiler was also ejected in the ensuing kerfuffle.
Toronto came into the match as one of three unbeaten teams in the league, along with FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City.
Atlanta went ahead in the15th minute when Almiron unlocked the Toronto defence with a through ball that left centre back Chris Mavinga, who was making his first TFC start, chasing Villalba. The Argentina forward then hammered a shot through Toronto ’keeper Alex Bono.
TFC had not been scored on for 212 minutes.
Giovinco opened his 2017 account in the 20th minute after a poor Atlanta clearance went straight to Armando Cooper. Vazquez then sent the ball to Altidore, whose cheeky flick found Giovinco in close and the Italian made no mistake.
That ended Atlanta’s run of not conceding a goal at 260 minutes.
Mavinga also allowed Villalba behind him for a 50-yard pass in the 46th minute. Villalba finished by sliding the ball between Bono’s legs.
Toronto coach Greg Vanney replaced Mavinga with Nick Hagglund three minutes later.
Bono made a fine save in the 69th minute to push away an Almiron blast destined for the top corner.