Piatti extends Reds’ unbeaten run
Late goal beats Atlanta, stretch without a loss is now at nine games
EAST HARTFORD, CONN.— Pablo Piatti scored in the 89th minute to lift Toronto FC to a 1-0 win over Atlanta United on Sunday night, extending its undefeated MLS run to nine games.
Substitute Richie Laryea made the play, teasing a defender before sending in a cross to Piatti, who flicked a header past Brad Guzan and in off the post for his fourth goal of the season.
It marked Toronto’s seventh 1-0 win of the season and 10th victory overall by a one-goal margin.
Scoring chances had been few and far between at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Despite coming into the game 19 points below Toronto in the standings, Atlanta proved to be a tough nut to crack.
After a quiet first half, Atlanta (5-10-4) showed more teeth in attack when it brought on designated players Ezequiel Barco and Marcelino Moreno at halftime. Atlanta’s lone shot on target came in the 68th minute with goalkeeper Quentin Westberg forced to make a smart save off a downward header from substitute Erick Torres.
Atlanta, which ranks 23rd in the league in scoring, is winless in four games (0-1-3) during which it has scored just once.
Toronto (12-2-5) is 6-0-3 in its last nine outings and has lost just two of 29 regular-season games (15-2-12) since a 2-0 defeat at the New York Red Bulls on Aug. 3, 2019.
TFC had won five straight matches prior to a 1-1 mid-week tie with the New York Red Bulls.
Atlanta was coming off a 1-1 mid-week draw with Inter Miami and had won just one of its previous five games (1-2-2). The Five Stripes came into the game in 11th place in the East, one place below the playoff line.
Toronto captain Michael Bradley, who missed the last nine games with a knee injury, came on in the 20th minute to replace Jonathan Osorio, who was feeling tightness. It marked only Bradley’s second substitute appearance in 201 career MLS regular-season matches.
The game was the fifth in 16 days for both teams.
Also Sunday: á Orlando clinched its first playoff spot with a 1-1 tie against the New York Red Bulls, combined with Toronto FC’s win. á Columbus also locked up a post-season berth in the East, beating New York City FC 3-1. Artur scored for the Crew, his first goal since the 2017 Eastern semifinals.
TFC coach Greg Vanney made four changes to the mid-week starting 11 that tied the Red Bulls 1-1 with Tony Gallacher, Laurent Ciman, Tsubasa Endoh and Patrick Mullins coming in for Richie Laryea, Chris Mavinga, Nick DeLeon and Ayo Akinola.
Akinola and Mavinga were nursing slight hamstring issues.
Barco had missed the last seven games because of injury. Moreno, an Argentine midfielder signed on Sept. 22, played 61 minutes in his Oct. 10 debut — a 1-0 loss to the Red Bulls — but did not figure against Miami.
There were dangers signs early, with an Atlanta giveaway leading to an Alejandro Pozuelo shot that was on target but lacked pace in the third minute. The Spaniard had another chance five minutes later, but his shot went straight at Guzan.
At the other end, Mexican winger Jurgen Damm tested the left side of the Toronto defence.
Omar Gonzalez’s header off a Toronto corner in the 40th minute went straight at Guzan. Seconds later, Bradley found Piatti, whose hard shot was parried away by Guzan.
Pozuelo’s swerving shot was off target in the 52nd minute.
The last meeting between the teams was in the Eastern Conference final in October 2019, when Toronto prevailed 2-1 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium thanks to a 78th-minute winner by DeLeon.
Guzan was the only returnee from that playoff game in Atlanta’s starting 11 Sunday, Toronto had seven of its starters from that game in its opening lineup.
Toronto was slated to charter home after the game to spend two days with family, under quarantine, before returning to East Hartford.