Lights go out on Toronto FC with loss in Georgia

• Toronto FC 1 (Morgan 79'), Atlanta United FC 3 (Almirón 22’; Sanchez 40’; Miranchuk 51’)     
• TFC’s last playoff appearance came during the 2020 MLS campaign 
• Reds are winless (5 losses) in 10 regular season games in Atlanta     
• Toronto closes out regular season next week in Philadelphia

Make it six years in a row without a single playoff appearance for Toronto FC. 

Facing a must-win situation on Sunday, TFC put forth one of their most disappointing and lifeless performances of the year in a 3-1 defeat to Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.  

The loss officially eliminated TFC from contention with one match remaining in the MLS regular season, extending the club’s playoff drought which dates back to 2020. Toronto (9-12-12, 39 points) remains in 12th place in the Eastern Conference but is now four points below the playoff line with no hope of catching up.  

Mercedes-Benz Stadium was the site of one of the TFC’s greatest victories, a come-from-behind effort in the second leg of the 2019 Eastern Conference final to book a spot in their third MLS Cup in four years. But that was a very different Toronto FC side compared to the current version. Realistically, a repeat performance like the one seven years ago was never in the cards for this TFC, much to the chagrin of the club’s long-suffering supporters.   

Still, you’d have expected the Reds to have put up more of a fight considering they were fighting for their playoff lives. But they embarrassed themselves with this display in a game upon which so much was riding and against an opponent that was already eliminated and sits lower in the standings. 

Don't let substitute Lewis Morgan's goal or TFC's surge late in the game fool you. This match wasn't as close as the final score suggested. Atlanta could have inflicted more damage had it not been so wasteful in front of goal against a porous TFC defence that has now conceded 63 goals this season (fourth worst in the East).

A sombre coach Robin Fraser couldn't hide his disappointment when speaking to reporters in the post-match press conference.

"Disappointment, because we certainly feel like throughout the season at various times we played well enough to be a playoff team. We've shown resiliency. We've shown character. I do think that the injuries in the first half of the season really hurt us. It's kind of like how we've been in games: If we give up goals early, it just feels so desperate late in games. That's kind of how the season felt after the way we started," Fraser stated.

"It felt like it feels like everything has been a must-win for the last probably 15 games, even more. ... I think we are better than what we showed at times. I just think too many [poor] first halves got us this year."

Captain Jonathan Osorio felt he and his teammates gave it their all down the final stretch of the season before coming up short in Atlanta.

"Very disappointed that we weren't able to make the playoffs this year with the team that we have. It's a real shame. When you look back at the season, there could be many things that happened in the year that led us to this position. But just speaking about today, [it’s] very disappointing to go out like this," Osorio said.

"We wanted more [from] ourselves. We expected more, and we unfortunately let ourselves down and we let the fans down."

Fraser didn’t make any lineup changes from Wednesday's win over D.C. United, showing trust in the same players who helped Toronto earn a crucial result in its final home match of the regular season.  

Unavailable due to injury were midfielder Nelson Palacio, centre back Walker Zimmerman (ankle), and fullback Kobe Franklin (shoulder). Palacio underwent successful thigh surgery last month and has been ruled out for the remainder of the MLS campaign. Zimmerman sat out his seventh consecutive match due to injury and eighth overall (he was suspended vs. Nashville SC on Sept. 26). Franklin has missed the last three games.      

An aggressive start allowed Toronto to dictate terms early on as it put pressure on Atlanta’s back line with its systematic press. Goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos was called upon to make a strong two-handed save on Theo Corbeanu's dangerous blast from inside the penalty area after latching on to a smart pass from Djordje Mihailovic.

But the wheels fell off for the visitors midway through the first half with the visitors’ first dangerous attacking foray. Atlanta’s Alexey Miranchuk nutmegged Nicksoen Gomis on a lovely give-and-go with Miguel Almirón, who stabbed his shot through the legs of an onrushing Luka Gavran to open the scoring.  

Atlanta doubled its advantage late in the half when Giuliano Galoppo played a ball from inside his half that released Almirón down the left wing. The Paraguayan played a cutback pass to Cooper Sanchez who took full advantage of TFC’s defenders who were slow to react to his late run into the box where he stroked the ball into the bottom right corner.  

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The hosts stormed out of the gate at the start of the second half with Breel Embolo sneaking in behind TFC’s back line before firing his shot over the crossbar.  

It proved to be only a brief reprieve. Almirón’s shot from distance moments later struck the far post and Miranchuk was the quickest to the ball as he scored on his rebound attempt from the middle of the box past a helpless Gavran. 

Gavran was left exposed as Toronto pushed numbers forward in an attempt to claw its way back into the game and had to make pair of saves each on Embolo and Jay Fortune to keep the score line somewhat respectable.

Morgan drew a goal back for TFC, hammering home a powerful shot from inside the penalty area off a feed from Josh Sargent that defected off an Atlanta defender.

"When you go down [and] give up a goal, that changes the game. And [when] you give up two goals, it completely changes the game. And then to come out in the second half and give them another one up, at that point, you're just throwing the kitchen sink [at them] and trying to get something. And in that case, you're going to expose yourself. But I do think that maybe the story is giving up relatively soft goals early, and how much that changes the game," Fraser offered.

NOTES: Atlanta leads the all-time regular season series against Toronto with seven wins and eight draws in 20 meetings... TFC have an 0-5-5 road record vs. Atlanta in the regular season. Their only win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium came in the 2019 MLS playoffs... This was the final meeting of the regular season between Toronto and Atlanta. TFC suffered a 2-1 loss at BMO Field on April 25… Toronto FC's last game of the 2026 regular season is on Saturday, Nov. 7 away to the Philadelphia Union (4:00 p.m. ET/TSN & Apple TV).