Atlanta United Battle Toronto FC, Seek to End Road Woes
Atlanta United are desperate to turn their season around and snap a four-game winless streak as they wrap up a tough five-game road trip against Toronto FC on Saturday night. Both Eastern Conference sides are languishing near the bottom of the table, making this clash crucial for regaining momentum heading into the latter half of the MLS season.
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Atlanta’s Attacking Issues Continue
Atlanta’s most recent match—a scoreless draw against D.C. United—snapped a three-game losing streak, but did little to address the club’s offensive drought. It was their ninth scoreless match of the season, a glaring concern for a team that has managed just 22 goals, more than only CF Montreal and D.C. United in the conference.
“To be honest, it’s sad, because I think we are a good team,” said midfielder Saba Lobjanidze. “We have quality, and still we need something. … We’re going to take it, and we’re going to feel the responsibility. First of all, we’re going to take action, make action on the pitch, not only words and conversation.”
The scoring load has primarily fallen on Emmanuel Latte Lath with five goals, while Miguel Almiron and Jamal Thiare have contributed three each. But with just one win since late May, Atlanta’s offensive firepower needs to ignite fast.
Toronto FC Searching for Stability
Toronto FC, just one point behind Atlanta, are equally eager to bounce back after a 3-1 loss to NYCFC on July 3. Coach Robin Fraser acknowledged his team’s effort but emphasized the costly mistakes that have plagued their campaign.
“It’s disappointing,” Fraser said. “I thought for a lot of the game, we were really good. Mistakes did us in. We’re disappointed because we know how much we need results, but I’ve been proud of the effort.”
Toronto will be playing their final home game until August 16 and hope the eight-day rest brings renewed energy. Federico Bernardeschi and Theo Corbeanu have each netted four goals and will be key to unlocking Atlanta’s defense.
“We’ll continue to build on some of the positive things we’ve seen,” Fraser added. “We’re going to build on our attacking ideas and continue to work on how we defend, how we get pressure.”
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