Toronto FC (3W-3L-4T, 13 points) fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat against Atlanta United (2W-7L-1T, 7 points) on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field.
Toronto FC Head Coach Robin Fraser made three changes from the midweek side that earned a dramatic 3-3 draw against Philadelphia Union with Benjamín Kuscevic, Raheem Edwards and Emilio Aristizábal coming into the eleven in place of Walker Zimmerman, Richie Laryea and Deandre Kerr.
Both sides were forced into first-half substitutions on a rain-soaked, chilly afternoon due to injuries, as Benjamín Kuscevic and José Cifuentes made way for Lazar Stefanovic and Derrick Etienne Jr. for the hosts, while Emmanuel Latte Lath replaced Cayman Togashi for the visitors.
Substitute Cayman Togashi found the net for the Five Stripes in the 22nd minute, only for his finish to be ruled out for offside following an in-stadium VAR review.
Atlanta United broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half as Alexey Miranchuk curled a direct free-kick into the top corner.
The Five Stripes doubled their lead in the 67th minute, as Tristan Muyumba guided a precise finish from Fafà Picault’s layoff.
Toronto FC responded immediately, pulling one back through Emilio Aristizábal’s powerful header from Kobe Franklin’s cross in front of the South End.
The 71st minute strike marked Aristizábal’s first goal for Toronto FC and Franklin’s first assist of the 2026 MLS season.
The hosts thought they had a late equalizer when substitute Jules-Anthony Vilsaint tapped home from close range, only for a belated offside flag to rule out the 85th minute effort.
The Reds pushed forward in numbers for the remainder of the match to salvage a late point and extend their seven-game unbeaten run, ultimately falling short as Atlanta United held on for the 2–1 result.
Toronto FC welcome San Jose Earthquakes of the Western Conference for their True North Match on Saturday, May 2. Kick-off from BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario is set for 1:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast globally on Apple TV and on TSN 3/4 in Canada.
LINEUPS
TORONTO FC – Luka Gavran; Kobe Franklin, Benjamín Kuscevic (Lazar Stefanovic 20’), Zane Monlouis, Raheem Ed-wards; Alonso Coello (Antone Bossenberry 72’), Jonathan Osorio (C), Emilio Aristizabal (Malik Henry 72’), José Cifuentes (Derrick Etienne Jr. 30’), Dániel Sallói; Josh Sargent (Jules-Anthony Vilsaint 71’)
Substitutes Not Used: Adisa De Rosario, William Yarbrough, Jackson Gilman, Reid Fisher, Markus Ci-mermancic
ATLANTA UNITED – Lucas Hoyos; Elias Baez, Stian Gregersen, Juan Berrocal, Matthew Edwards; Alexey Miranchuk (C) (Will Reilly 77’), Tristan Muyumba, Cooper Sanchez (Matias Galarza 77’), Jay Fortune; Luke Brennan (Fafa Picault 59’), Cayman Togashi (Emmanuel Latte Lath 27’)
Substitutes Not Used: Jayden Hibbert, Ronald Hernandez, Enea Muhaj, Pedro Amador, Fonda, Saba Lobjanidze
MEDIA NOTES
- Emilio Aristizábal scored his first goal for Toronto FC, becoming the sixth different player to open his account for the Reds during the 2025 season.
- Kobe Franklin recorded his first assist of the 2026 MLS season.
- Toronto FC II midfielder Antone Bossenberry made his TFC debut as a 72nd minute substitute, becoming the seventh player to debut for the Reds this season.
- Bossenberry becomes the eighth youngest player in club history (17 years, 8 months and 12 days) to play for Toronto FC.
