Atlanta United was beaten 4-3 by Toluca in Wednesday’s friendly at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
There were promising signs for the offense because of goals score by Brooks Lennon, Luiz Araujo and Luke Brennan in front of an announced attendance of 28,839. The attack was often inventive and fast-paced with passing combinations not seen last season.
Defensively, the center of the formation, missing two presumed starters at centerback and one presumed starter in central midfield, struggled to slow down Toluca when it had the ball in the first half. Though both teams created several scoring chances, Toluca had two shots fizz just wide of the post and frequently penned the Five Stripes into their own half.
Atlanta United has one more scheduled friendly at St. Louis on Saturday before it opens its MLS season on Feb. 25 against San Jose.
Wearing the new kits unveiled earlier Wednesday, Atlanta United’s starting 11 was composed of Machop Chol at striker with Araujo and Caleb Wiley on the wings, Thiago Almada as the attacking midfielder with Matheus Rossetto and Franco Ibarra as the central midfielders, Andrew Gutman and Lennon as the fullbacks, JuanJo Purata and Noah Cobb as the centerbacks, and Quentin Westberg in goal.
Atlanta United put together several nice sequences in the opening 10 minutes. One was the result of a turnover created by Chol near midfield that resulted in him being put in on goal. The second had Chol laying a pass off for Almada, whose shot blazed over the crossbar. Another saw Chol combine with Araujo, whose shot from a few yards away was saved.
Atlanta United took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Lennon in the 11th minute. Wiley was played into space down the left. His cross was deflected by a Toluca player. Lennon reacted before everyone else. He spun to his left and put a left-footed shot into the lower right corner from 12 yards.
Atlanta United increased its lead to 2-0 two minutes later on a goal by Araujo. Lennon created a turnover near midfield. Araujo picked up the loose ball, dribbled past two Toluca defenders and put a left-footed shot into the lower right corner from four yards away.
Toluca, whose LIGA MX season has already started, made it 2-1 in the 19th minute on a goal by Ivan Lopez. Araujo turned over the ball near midfield. The ball eventually went to Lopez, who held off two defenders until he could create space to put the ball into the right corner. It was Toluca’s third good scoring opportunity in the first 20 minutes.
Toluca created several more good chances but was unable to score over the next 15 minutes.
Atlanta United experienced two injury scares later in the half.
On the first, Wiley and Toluca’s Juan Gamboa banged heads. Both players eventually got up. Gamboa received a yellow card. Wiley had a visible welt.
A few minutes later, Chol sat on the turf and pointed to his left hamstring. He was replaced by Jackson Conway near the end of the half.
Toluca tied the game in stoppage time on a curling shot by Sebastian Saucedo that Westberg got a hand on but couldn’t stop from hitting the post and going in. The sequence by Toluca featured several short passes around the left side of the 18-yard box until finally Saucedo found himself with time and space.
Pineda changed nine of the 11 players to start the second half. The only holdovers were Cobb and Conway. The rest of the lineup was composed of Clement Diop, Aiden McFadden, Kofi Twumasi, Ronald Hernandez, Nick Firmino, Alan Carleton, Ajani Fortune, in his first action this preseason, Brennan and Tyler Young.
Atlanta United took a 3-2 lead in the 53rd minute on a goal by Brennan, a player Pineda has previously complimented twice for his play in preseason games. The play started with Carleton passing to McFadden on the left wing about 40 yards from goal. He put in a right-footed curling cross that Fortune headed across to Brennan, who calmly scored.
Toluca tied the game at 3 in the 62nd minute on a shot taken by Maxi Araujo that deflected off Cobb.
Toluca scored its final goal in the 80th minute when Camilo Sanvezzo found space between Atlanta United’s centerbacks, who were playing a high line. He was played in by Leo Fernandez. Sanvezzo forced Diop to commit, took one more dribble and then shot into an empty goal.
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Atlanta United’s 2023 MLS schedule
Feb. 25 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m.
March 4 vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m.
March 11 at Charlotte FC, noon, Fox
March 18 vs. Portland Timbers, 7:30 p.m.
March 25 at Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
April 1 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
April 8 at New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
April 15 at Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m.
April 23 vs. Chicago Fire FC, 4:30 p.m., FS1
April 29 at Nashville SC, 1:30 p.m., Fox
May 6 at Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
May 13 vs. Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m.
May 17 vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m.
May 20 at Chicago Fire FC, 8:30 p.m.
May 27 at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m.
May 31 vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m., FS1
June 3 at Los Angeles FC, 10:30 p.m.
June 10 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 21 vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
June 24 at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
July 2 vs. Philadelphia Union, 4 p.m., Fox
July 8 at CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 12 at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.
July 15 vs. Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m., FS1
Aug. 20 at Seattle Sounders, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 26 vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2 at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 vs. Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23 vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 7 vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 at FC Cincinnati, TBA
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