Homegrown talent Osorio, Priso lift Toronto FC over Atlanta
CF Montreal trips Charlotte FC to get back in MLS win column
Jonathan Osorio opened the scoring early and Ralph Priso added the eventual winner as Toronto FC defeated Atlanta United 2-1 on Saturday.
Osorio scored in the eighth minute after a Jayden Nelson pass led him into the box, where he beat his defender and put it past Atlanta goalkeeper Rocco Rios-Novo.
Luiz De Araujo put an end to Atlanta's offensive woes in the 57th minute as he ran down the right side of the field, past his defender and beat Toronto's Quentin Westberg to tie the game at 1-1.
Toronto (5-8-3) improved to 5-3-0 at BMO Field, where it has enjoyed the vast majority of its success this season. Toronto FC will next host the Columbus Crew on Wednesday as the team continues its five-game homestand.
Entering the match, Toronto had won just one of its last eight MLS games, with the lone victory coming against the Chicago Fire at home on May 28. Coming off a 4-0 victory over CF Montreal in the Canadian Championship semifinals on Wednesday, Toronto built on what little momentum it's been able to garner this season.
WATCH l Priso's 2nd career MLS goal powers Toronto FC to win:
Despite the three goals between both sides, the match did not lack missed scoring opportunities.
Atlanta went through much of the match having difficulty putting the ball on goal and connecting with one another on passing attempts off corner and free kicks.
Toronto, on the other hand, had its fair share of missed chances near and on goal.
Forward Jesus Jimenez, one of the top scorers in the MLS, also missed on a few opportunities of his own, with a number of those coming in the box.
Italian international Lorenzo Insigne was in attendance for the game as the crowd gave him a loud round of applause and cheer when shown on the big screen. The 31-year-old who signed with Toronto FC earlier in the year, was formally introduced to the fans on Friday. He is expected to make his debut on July 9.
Montreal back in win column
CF Montreal are back in the win column after beating Charlotte FC 2-1 at Saputo Stadium on Saturday evening, claiming second place in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer.
Montreal have made a habit of starting games at home incredibly strong and this one was no different, dominating the ball and forcing Charlotte back constantly.
It took Montreal only seven minutes to break the deadlock. Their first shot from Quioto's found the bottom right corner, giving the hosts the lead.
WATCH l CF Montreal moves to 2nd place in East with victory over Charlotte FC:
It only took Charlotte three minutes to respond when a defensive mishap led to a simple tap in from a few feet out for Corujo.
The other side of that habit has been that — following their strong start — they would take their foot off the gas and invite opposing pressure. It was no different for this game as Charlotte appeared more than happy to run out the clock on the first half.
As Charlotte continued to push for an equalizer, their best opportunity came with seven minutes left. Karol Swiderski had two point-blank shots — one saved by Sebastian Breza and the other was launched over the bar.
Three points were not the only cause for celebration for Montreal fans as they also saw the return of Mason Toye who had missed the last 10 months with a series of injuries.
Both teams have mid-week games up next as Montreal travels to Seattle on June 29 to face the Sounders. Charlotte will return home to Bank of America Stadium and host Austin FC on June 30.
