Toronto FC will aim to rebound from a heartbreaking late loss when it heads south to face Atlanta United on Saturday night.
Toronto (0-1-0, 0 points) saw D.C. United score twice after the match hit the 90th minute to steal a 3-2 result in each team’s season opener.
However, Toronto did get some good news after star Lorenzo Insigne had to leave the match in the 34th minute favoring his leg. He was able to practice by himself on Thursday and only has a questionable designation for Saturday’s match.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s going to keep him out long,” coach Bob Bradley said Thursday.
As for who will have an impact on Toronto in Insigne’s possible absence, countryman and fellow designated player Federico Bernardeschi already got on the goal sheet with a 66th-minute, game-tying penalty. He netted eight goals in 13 games during the 2022 season and is off to a good start in his first full MLS campaign.
However, traveling to Atlanta (1-0-0, 3 points) has not been kind to Toronto since Atlanta entered the league. Toronto has not won any regular-season matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in six tries (0-3-3), but it was able to knock off the hosts in the 2019 Eastern Conference Final.
Atlanta United opened the 2023 season with a 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes, featuring star midfielder Thiago Almada rescuing the hosts from the brink of defeat. Almada scored twice after the 90th minute with his first goal a stunner, only topped by his beautiful free kick to take all three points for Atlanta.
“We were just shouting with euphoria because it was in the last minute,” Almada said of his game-winner, the latest goal ever scored by an Atlanta player at 98:04. “So we were all just really happy.”
Offseason signing Giorgios Giakoumakis made his training debut Friday after getting his visa Thursday, making him eligible to be selected for Saturday’s match.
–Field Level Media
