Toluca turned away a less-than-stellar Atlas side with a workmanlike 2-0 victory over los rojinegros at Estadio Nemesio Diez on Sunday.
Hector Raul Mancilla and Carlos Esquivel did the damage for los Diablos, who survived the ejection of manager Jose Manuel "Chepo" De La Torre.
Atlas actually had the first opportunity of the match. In the ninth minute, Daniel Osorno hit the right post after slipping past Toluca's defense. Osorno had goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera beat but not the post.
Toluca suffered a similar fate five minutes later. Israel Lopez, Toluca's free-kick master, fired a 22-yard free kick on goal. The ball sailed over the wall and goalkeeper Damian Barbosa and dipped but the ball caromed off the crossbar and back into play.
Toluca, though, were able to break through Atlas' defense first. Esquivel tore past Atlas' defense on the right side, carried the ball into the box and slipped a ball to the front of the goal that somehow got through Atlas' defense. Mancilla simply knocked the ball into the empty net for the match-winner.
Late in the half, though, Esquivel was booked in a play that cost De La Torre his seat on the bench. Esquivel darted into the penalty area and tried to go around an Atlas defender. He hit the ground after contact with one defender an apparent push from another. Instead of a penalty, though, Esquivel was given a yellow card.
De La Torre protested and was sent off.
Atlas had little response for Toluca's mastery. Toluca, though, could not add a second goal right away.
It was not until the 72nd minute that Toluca stung Atlas once more. Esquivel took a ball that was played out of the back over Atlas' defense and walked into the penalty area. He ripped a shot on goal from close range. Barbosa was in position and reached for the ball but could not prevent it from going into the back of the net.
Atlas whimpered away in the end as Talavera picked up his first league win since replacing the injured Hernan Cristante, who could be out for the rest of the regular season.
