Atlanta United earns thrilling 2-1 victory

Atlanta United forward Jamal Thiare scored the winning goal in the 97th minute, giving the Five Stripes a much-needed 2-1 victory over Toronto FC. Thiare’s goal sent the 42,568 crowd into a frenzy while securing all three points.

With the win, Atlanta United are now two points behind seventh place.

“I wasn’t surprised, because I just had the feeling that the goalkeeper was going to put the ball on the pitch, and then I concentrated on making sure I did my job,” Thiaré said after the match.

This victory is the first for interim manager Rob Valentino. In his post-match remarks, Valentino admitted he had never seen a match end this way.

“This is what we were joking about, exactly how we wanted it,” Valentino said. “I would say I’m on the younger side of coaching and the younger side of the game, but I’ve never seen anything like this. I made a joke to Dax (McCarty), after he ridiculously ran to the sidelines, that he’s been playing for 20 years now and I bet he’s never seen an ending like that. It was amazing, weird, but I’m glad we’re on this side.

The designated players showed up tonight

Meanwhile, Thiago Almada scored his sixth goal of the season two minutes into the first half. While speculation abounds regarding Almada’s future in Atlanta, his performance throughout the game was of a very high standard. He was proactive in the final third and looked to create opportunities for himself and his teammates up front.

Federico Bernardeschi quickly equalized for Toronto after the halftime break. He was assisted on goal by fellow Italian Lorenzo Insigne. The second half turned into a cautious battle as both teams counterattacked and almost scored potential game-winning goals.

Ultimately, it was the genius of Thiaré who broke the deadlock.

“I think it’s only going to help us in the best possible way,” Atlanta United defender Caleb Wiley said. “I think we really needed that win. We’re back on the road next week. So I think the guys are in a really good mood after that win and we’re going to go to New England and try to do the same thing.”

Atlanta United’s next home match is against New York City FC on July 17. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

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