Thursday 31 October, 00.05am
Sky Sports Football/Free Sports
We find out who will face Seattle Sounders in the MLS Cup final on Wednesday evening when the last two champions go at it inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium as Atlanta United face off with Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference final.
Atlanta will host the MLS Cup final for the second year in a row if they come out on top in this encounter while Toronto will head to CenturyLink Field to compete for the title if it is them who progress.
Atlanta United
This hasn’t been the smoothest or most convincing season for Atlanta United but you have to give them full credit for coming good when it really counted. The transition in head coach and the loss of Miguel Almiron were always going to be big things to overcome and trying to so that while launching a NACL campaign probably wasn’t the right thing to do either. Nevertheless, after a troubled start they ended the season in good touch.
With Josef Martinez up front, Atlanta United are always going to have a chance in matches. I would suggest the key for Atlanta will be how they defend in this contest. They are yet to concede a goal in this postseason and if that statistic remains intact here it is hard to see them not making it back to the MLS Cup final. If it doesn’t things could get very interesting over the course of the evening.
Toronto FC
There is no doubt that going to Atlanta is one of the hardest tasks in MLS these days but Toronto FC can take a lot of confidence from their win in New York last week. Admittedly it wasn’t Yankee Stadium but any road win against New York City FC is a good one and shouldn’t be belittled. Toronto have shown in the past that they know how to win these knockout matches whether at home or on the road so they should be nicely equipped for this.
In order for them to come through this one, you would think Toronto FC are going to have to look to play on the front foot. Trying to contain Atlanta United isn’t a tactic that works too well but they went to New York and took the game to them so they do have it in them. Toronto FC have never won in Atlanta but twice they have come away with 2-2 draws and that too should give them some belief for this match.
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Team News
Atlanta United will be without Brek Shea and Miles Robinson for this match as both are out with leg injuries. Amazingly Michael Parkhurst is only rated as questionable despite a nasty looking arm injury against New England two matches ago.
Toronto FC have classed Jozy Altidore as questionable for the match. You would think if there is any chance of him playing he will be named on the bench to give the Canadians another option should things start to go wrong.
Betting
My gut is telling me that Toronto FC are going to come through here. They are in excellent form and have the poise and the presence to hold themselves together in this pressurised situation, but I still can’t bring myself to take on Atlanta United at home, especially with Josef Martinez in such good form and the supply line to him looking in decent nick too.
These two sides have met six times since Atlanta came into MLS and five of the six meetings have contained four or more goals which makes me think we could be in for another high scoring match here. The do or die nature of these playoffs have brought a series of high scoring games with them with plenty of sides going for it rather than waiting to be tagged and going out limply. The goal line for this one is three but history would suggest that might not be high enough.
Tips
PUSH – Back Over 3 goals for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with BetVictor
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