ATLANTA UNITED x TOluca FC
In a preseason friendly for the American Family Insurance Cup, Atlanta United welcomed Liga MX's Toluca FC to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. An entertaining back-and-forth was capped off by Toluca FC's 80th-minute winner, as they were able to capitalize on a lineup that comprised numerous players from Atlanta United 2 and the Academy.
In the 15th minute, Atlanta United scored the game's first goal. The game's opening goal was scored by Brooks Lennon, who took a pass in the center of the box, cut inside on his right foot, and sent a low shot into the bottom right corner. Minutes afterward, Atlanta United came back down and scored again. Lennon lofted a pass to Arajo, who advanced the ball down the right side. After dodging two Toluca defenders, he finished off the close-range opportunity to give the home team a commanding 2-0 lead.
In spite of this, Toluca FC responded and narrowed Atlanta United's two-goal advantage. To make it 2-1, striker Iván López got a foot on a cross from the left corner and redirected it past Atlanta goalkeeper Quentin Westberg in a crowded penalty area. In the last seconds of the first half, Toluca tied the game with a golazo. Sebastián Saucedo got the ball after his team had maintained possession. Even though Westberg made a save on the midfielder's effort, the wonderfully placed curler went in.
Atlanta scored first in the second half at the 53-minute mark. Ajani Fortune, playing his first preseason minutes, sent a flick to 17-year-old Luke Brennan at the top of the box. The youngster retrieved the ball coolly, drove it low, and put Atlanta United up 3-2. Maxi Arajo, playing in the midfield for Toluca, scored an equalizer in the 62nd minute. Outside of the penalty area, he was able to create some breathing room and snap it home.
Toluca scored the winning goal thanks to a superb assist. Camilo Sanvezzo was making a break for it upfield when Leo Fernández hit him with a long through ball. In the 80th minute, Sanvezzo scored a go-ahead goal for the visitors with a cut that forced Diop out of place, and a rolling ball was then slotted home. With their 4-3 victory, Toluca FC claimed victory in the 2023 American Family Insurance Cup and brought the trophy back to Mexico for 2023.
[Photography by ICONIC photographer Rachel Pearce]
