Toronto eases past Atlanta United, 2-0

Updated: Mar 23, 2024, 10:21 pm

Tyrese Spicer found the back of the net in the first half and Prince Osei Owusu in the second as host Toronto FC downed Atlanta United 2-0 on Saturday.

Deandre Kerr prodded a pass forward to help Spicer's 35th minute score -- the first of his MLS career. Falling to his right, Spicer, the first overall pick in December's 2024 MLS SuperDraft, fired from between a pair of Atlanta defenders. The shot one-bounced into the bottom left corner of the net, putting Toronto (3-1-1, 10 points) up.

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Osei Owusu added on in the 71st minute after depositing a rebound after Atlanta (2-2-0, 6 points) goalkeeper Brad Guzan dove to his right and slapped away the first shot of the sequence. Osei Owusu's marker was also the first of his MLS career.

Toronto had chances prior to initially breaking through.

Sigurd Rosted and Lorenzo Insigne both had tries that went wide in the 3rd minute, then Federico Bernardeschi fired off another shot in the 11th. By way of a Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty crosser, Spicer attempted to nod one past Guzan in the 20th minute, but Guzan kept it out.

Undermanned Atlanta was missing a half-dozen players due to international call-ups and another regular, Stian Gregersen, sat with a knee injury. The absences showed in the difference in offensive opportunities. Toronto outshot its visitors 20-8, including a 9-3 edge of those on target.

Atlanta had only a pair of chances in the first half, those coming 27 minutes apart. Saba Lobjanidze's boot missed wide in the 12th, then Luka Gavran saved Derrick Williams' header in the 39th.

Five minutes out of halftime, Gavran denied Jamal Thiare's header off of Brooks Lennon's crosser. Nick Firmino's try in the 56th minute, which was also disallowed by Gavran, was Atlanta's only other shot on goal.