TORONTO — Sunday is Fan Appreciation Day for beleaguered Toronto FC supporters. But the regular-season finale is more a changing of the guard as league-leading Atlanta United comes to town.
Atlanta (21-6-6) has already matched the all-time MLS single-season points record (69), set by Toronto last year during its championship campaign. And while TFC players prepare to clean out their lockers, Atlanta has business to settle Sunday with the Supporters' Shield on the line.
The visitors arrive one point ahead of the New York Red Bulls (21-7-5), who host lowly Orlando City on Sunday. A win in Toronto and Atlanta can secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and hoist the Supporters' Shield — which TFC earned last year — for compiling the league's best regular-season record.
It would be a first-ever trophy for Atlanta, which has compiled a 26-15-16 regular-season mark record in its two years of play. By contrast, Toronto went 15-30-15 in its first two seasons in the league (2007-08).
Toronto (9-18-6) was eliminated from playoff contention some three weeks ago. A win Sunday won't gloss over what has been a shockingly disappointing league campaign. But it may offer a positive departure point.
And it would beat watching Atlanta celebrate taking one of Toronto's records and trophies at BMO Field.
Toronto coach Greg Vanney hopes his players can go out and play with some freedom.
"I think there's an understanding and an appreciation that the season needs to be finished and we need to go out — at home and against Atlanta in particular — and put out the right performance," he said after a chilly training session Friday.
"But I think the group feels and understands that there isn't another game on the other side if they get a result or anything like that. That's the reality of it. There's a sense of frustration that still exists in the group but I do think it's kind of a normal frustration ... I think the guys are just focused knowing that there's one game left and leave it out there for one more game."
It's been a roller-coaster season for a Toronto team denied the CONCACAF Champions League trophy via penalty shootout after a gritty run against top Mexican opposition. Retaining the Canadian Championship offered a brief high that was quickly swallowed up by one league disappointment after another.
Atlanta arrives a staggering 36 points above Toronto in the standings.
"I don't have an answer to that," said Vanney. "They've had an excellent season, similar to what we had last year. And we could never build any momentum coming out of the Champions League."
"I don't think it is by any stretch of the imagination the difference between our two teams," he said of the point difference. "If you put the two teams on the field together at full strength, I think it's an incredible match ... I think it's the product of two very different seasons and the variables that each has had to deal with through the course of it."
TFC has lost its last three games and is 3-7-1 since a 2-2 tie in Atlanta on Aug. 4. In contrast, Atlanta, which has gone 7-2-0 since that tie, has won its last two and five of the last six.
Toronto has been shutting down stars with striker Jozy Altidore and Spanish playmaker Victor Vazquez having undergone minor ankle and knee surgery, respectively.
Veteran defender Drew Moor sits out another game, this time with a recurrence of the quad issue that sidelined him previously.
"It's very mild but it doesn't make sense in this game to put him in a situation where he doesn't need to be in," said Vanney.
Toronto has some other injury question-marks, although Vanney didn't elaborate.
Atlanta playmaker Miguel Almiron is close to returning from a hamstring injury but is not expected to play Sunday. The news is better on forward Hector Villalba, who is available.
Star striker Josef Martinez has a league-record 30 goals on the season but has scored in just one of his last seven games.
Sunday marks the last regular-season game for Atlanta coach Tata Martino, who is leaving after the playoffs reportedly to take over the Mexican national team.
The Red Bulls will be joining TFC in trying to do their part to spoil Atlanta's party. An Atlanta loss or tie in Toronto coupled with a New York win over Orlando would give the Red Bulls the Supporters' Shield.
Atlanta gets the trophy if it and the Red Bulls both emerge with ties. A Red Bulls loss would also leave Atlanta in first place.
There are several other permutations.
ATLANTA UNITED (21-6-6) at TORONTO FC (9-18-6)
Sunday, BMO Field
NOTHING BUT DRAWS: All three previous meetings have ended in 2-2 ties.
OFFENSIVE WOES: Toronto has been blanked its last two games and has not scored in 197 minutes.
FIELD OF DREAMS: Sunday marks the last outing for TFC on the current much-maligned grass surface. A new grass field will be laid in the off-season, with artificial fibres to be inserted in April to strengthen the surface.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
