With a 2-0 lead in its back pocket with around 20 minutes remaining, Atlanta United appeared to have the Philadelphia Union on the ropes as it sought its first-ever 4-0-0 start at home.
But in a matter of moments, that lead vanished.
Instead, Atlanta was forced to share the points with the Union in the form of a 2-2 draw, and what could have been — well, should have been — another home victory turned into dropped points at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first time in 2024.
“When you create so many chances and you feel like you’re honestly the better team, it feels like a loss,” Caleb Wiley said in the locker room after the match. “I think towards the end, it’s something that we have to work on around the 80th, 90th minute, we have to keep our concentration and focus.”
Sunday’s draw seemed reminiscent of several results for Atlanta United over the past couple of years: a loss of “concentration and focus”, leading to opportunities for the other team.
It was Wiley whose stunning strike just past the hour mark ignited the home crowd before the Union — who still have never won in Atlanta but remain the lone unbeaten team in MLS (3W-0L-4D) — capitalized through Mikael Uhre and Daniel Gazdag in the 73rd and 77th minute, respectively, and just as well may feel they came out with a victory.
“We were winning 2-0 at home … and then we gave up two silly goals, I would say,” Atlanta head coach Gonzalo Pineda said. “It felt like there were critical mistakes and no time to react, probably. We knew the type of game that was in front of us … but then, in little moments after the 70th minute, we lost control.”
The first of the two goals was preceded by a back pass from just inside the midfield by Edwin Mosquera in an attempt to clear the ball back to Brad Guzan. Instead, it found its way to Uhre in space, who raced into the box and fired it past Atlanta’s goalkeeper.
Pineda praised Mosquera’s defensive effort in that moment, noting that he’d instructed his team to “be hard” and “go firmly on the ball” in 50-50 situations while conceding that the team’s reaction “could have been better”.
“It was a little bit of bad luck that the ball goes straight to their striker, and then the finishing was also very good,” he added.
Philadelphia’s goal on a brilliant hit by Gazdag after what appeared to be an illegal Nathan Harriel throw-in (not reviewable by VAR), though, came down to not bad luck, but poor marking in Pineda’s eyes.
“Those little moments of lack of concentration [and] not great reaction against those types of teams that are very direct, that are looking for those loose balls all the time, and are very efficient in the way they play … we need to learn from it,” he said.
It’s a lesson Atlanta will need to learn in a hurry. Its next test comes on Saturday against FC Cincinnati, a team slightly off its Supporters’ Shield-winning pace from 2023 and coming off a 2-1 loss at CF Montréal.
But Sunday’s draw represented a massive missed opportunity, especially with Giorgos Giakoumakis and Xande Silva missing from Atlanta’s attack.
“Of course, it’s frustrating because we deserved to win tonight, and we didn’t,” Pineda said. “The important thing is after the frustration, after all of that, we learn [from] it and then next time, we’re better.”
“It’s a 90-minute game. We’re out there for a long time and it’s a lot of soccer. We have to be locked in the whole game,” Wiley said. “I can’t really pinpoint one thing, but all I will say is this: we’ll be better.”
Support independent soccer coverage in Atlanta. Join our Patreon, starting at $1.17/mo. Click here.
That draw felt like pure capitulation.
A tie that felt like a loss in the moment.
I thought we should’ve won, and still think we could’ve won. Philly was just getting blake back from a concussion (then lost him around half time to a sub) and didn’t start Uhre who was also returning from injury. Of our 2 starting replacements from the match before, neither cost us the win, and one of them scored before being subbed just a few minutes later.
I feel like that is when the match changed, Philly brought in Uhre and started high pressing, we brought in Firmino and didn’t adjust well. Also, I think we were VERY lucky to barely have their 3rd goal disallowed (if it wasn’t called offsides live, I don’t think it would’ve been reversed – it was very close)
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Our substitutions were questionable and predictable, our tactics were slow to change, our sloppy possession in our own defensive third caused a goal, and we turned off our focus to lose a lead.
This team’s ceiling seems to be 5th/6th of half the league.
What was Pineda supposed to do with/for subs? He made just two the whole game. I guess Dax could have come in, maybe Fortune? FWIW, Philly only made one (other than GK) – but it was Uhre, and we didn’t have an equivalent.
Yeah kind of easy to say “the subs didnt have a positive impact on the game” based on our injury situation.
The game changed when Mosquera played Philadelphia’s best pass of the night.
Mosquera isn’t a “hold onto the lead” kind of sub, but n the other hand, we didnt really have anyone of quality to bring off the bench.
Did we even have a non-emergency CB available? Only thing I can think of in hindsight is Fortune or McCarty over Firmino.
You’re right, it might be easy to say “the subs didnt have a positive impact on the game”, except that is not what I said. That is a strawman argument.
When Uhre came on, Philly started high pressing. We didn’t adjust. We kept cycling possession in our own defensive third that resulted in a bad turnover that they capitalized on. Literally what happened in the NY match last week with Wolff. (And several of our goals conceded so far this year.) When patterns occur, it is not simply individual mistakes, it has to be systematic.
IMO our subs were predictable and didn’t seem to follow what the match needed at that time, but rather a rigid plan. That is my critique on our subs. Rios had just scored and seemed to finally be settling in when he was subbed minutes later, just like our striker the match before. Mosquera in the last 30 minutes has been the pattern every match he’s been available. We were up and had attacking momentum already, a fresh winger is just not always what the game state calls for – it’s predictable.
By not adjusting to their sub or change in tactics, we were lucky to not have had that third goal against us. Curtin played us like a fiddle.
Cheering for 7 points in the next 3.
I really blame our coach. I really want to like him but I don’t think he’s gonna move us forward
I think its disingenuous to say we “kept cycling possession in our defensive third” when we gave up our first goal.
Mosquera made a boneheaded play that is worse in my mind than Wolff’s error last week (dont get me wrong, both are very frustrating).
If Mosquera doesnt attempt that pass, we win the game. If you want to blame Pineda for making that pass, then fine. I choose to blame Mosquera for not having the situational awareness to know that blasting the ball out of bounds would have been okay in that moment.
Beyond that, I agree that the Firmino sub was a mistake in hindsight. But I stand firm in that it was a mistake that should not have mattered.
You say the Uhre sub changed the game. I say the Mosquera error changed the game.
It was a bad error for sure. Agree to agree there 👍
Ronald Hernandez was the emergency CB on the bench on Sunday. It’s certainly not his preferred position, but Pineda has a few times used him there in MLS play.
The best defense was a dangerous offense, given the players available. Mosquero is more likely to contribute to a third goal to ice it. Firmino is a better outlet from pressure than Fortune. The subs were correct.
Morales was on the bench as backup to the backup CB. I would’ve brought on McCarty once we were up 2-0 and definitely once we were up 2-1. Just have him clog up the middle at the top of the box.
McCarty was brought for exactly that purpose. Holding midfielder with experience. Firmino has not shown me anything to brag about.
Dax McCarty has looked cooked every time he’s played this year. Slow and indecisive.
I wonder sometimes if it is fatigue, though Mosquera shouldn’t have been tired.
A frustrating draw, because we gave them a goal, and then they got another one, but despite that we still honestly deserved to win. We had multiple good chances that were each maybe a foot away from going in at the most.
It’s not an encouraging result overall, but really it is great to know the depth this team has. We kind of knew Abram is a good CB, but Cobb and Rios both showed they can be called on as well. This is the deepest squad we’ve had since 2018.
I agree with your comments. Matt Doyle on the official MLS website – and I want to make sure it’s understood that he is not in any way, shape, or form anti-Atlanta United and he has never been so – said the following in a column today covering the weekend’s results. I think it’s pertinent.
There are many reasons we might not be “elite,” but saying our defense is to blame just shows he’s not actually paying attention. No one has given up fewer goals this year than Atlanta United (6 teams have given up 7 goals, median is 12, most is 20). Not to mention that our 2 starting CBs are both out…
If I were to point at one thing that keeps us from being “elite,” it’s poor/unforced giveaways in dangerous areas/situations. We generally don’t get outmaneuvered or outplayed, we try switching the field across the top of our own 18, give the ball away, and concede.
I value Doyle as an analyst. He’s very good and usually right. That said, most MLS squads are squishy defensively when they’re missing both starting center backs to injury.
I don’t know if we deserved to win. I would give us an edge maybe, but a tie feels like a pretty fair result. While their goals were off a poor giveaway, and what honestly felt like a lucky shot, there were a couple shots where it felt they should have scored. Like the one where Guzan stood on his head. Or the counter that they horribly misplayed. We had the same of course (Firmino refusing to pass, Saba off the woodwork), which is more why it felt like it was even to me.
Given our injuries, I think a lot of people would have been happy with a tie beforehand. Just like NY last week though, the problem is always the fact that dumb mistakes is what are leading to these ties.
Have to say with the lineup we had, before the game I thought a tie would be lucky, given Philly’s lineup but as we got up 2-0… maybe we are improving…and then a couple of Coaching errors (we give up; don’t need our attacker; let Philly take the initiative) inserting a midfielder that can’t defend or pass… I don’t know, very pissed we gave that one away. We have not beaten any good teams; this one was at home and 2-0 lead…
Haven’t we heard this same “song and dance” from Pineda for years? When will this team stop “loosing focus” and remain “locked-in” for 90?
I have to agree with you here. This has happened to us far too many times over his tenure and seems to be a recurring trend. To me that comes from the top down. I don’t know that it will as long as Pineda is in charge. I am not advocating for making a change right now but we have had so many chances to fix this “losing focus” issue and it just seems to keep happening.
Agree. A little venting here: why do you take the only offensive threat we had out of the game with 30 minutes left? I was ok with Wolff coming out (he should’ve come out at halftime) As soon as Rios came out Philly was free to push forward.
IMHO Muyumba’s stock has dropped. Very good technically, but can’t shoot, too slow to make decisions at critical times, too lackadaisical with his ball handling, he underestimates the defenders speed and gives the ball away, killing many offensive opportunities.
I think the team is doing a little better ‘cause we have better players this year BUT coaching has not contributed at all.
why in hell was the roof closed? Beautiful day but ruined by bad coaching.
Most MLS managers, including Pineda, are convinced that their new players must be made of sugar glass and will crack and break if overused. Tata is about the only MLS manager I can think of who doesn’t believe that. Tata – “You just flew in? Good. You’re going 90.” To be as fair as I can, Rios mostly didn’t play in Liga MX. The last match he played was in October of last year – yikes! Chivas had utterly given up on him. So for now I will give Pineda some leeway on this specific case of pulling the player after 60 minutes, but even if Rios had been playing all the time, Pineda has a lot of reservations of letting new guys play the whole match.
I can’t speak to specifically why the roof was closed, but apparently I am literally the only person who follows this team who has a memory better than a goldfish’s memory on this specific thing. Guys, when they open the roof, WEIRD shadows show up on huge part of the pitch during the match. The players may have complained and it may be closed because frankly the team has asked for it to be closed. As to why I am the only person who remembers it when I’ve seen it happen many times in the past, I can’t answer that.
It also gets stupid hot if you are under the sun.
Yeah, without a lot of attackers, I thought we’d struggle to score, and a draw would be a good result, but then up 2-0, and then falling apart. Another frustrating draw that feels like a loss. As discussed up thread, I do not understand why Dax wasn’t brought on up 2-0 (and then at 2-1). I don’t know what the plan was with Rios’ minutes as he hasn’t gone 90 in like a year but seemed like we could’ve ridden him a bit further. Striker is a position where you can kind of manage the effort without really sacrificing the performance.
W/D/L
36-28-35, 165 GF, 149 GA, +16 GD
36.36 win%
1.667 GF/gm
1.51 GA/gm
1.37 PTS/gm
2024 so far:
7gms, 3-2-2, 12 GF, 7 GA (6th in EC, 5th by ppg)
42.86 win%
1.71 GF/gm
1.0 GA/gm
1.57 PTS/gm
Nothing worth Pineda getting fired over so far, IMO, but if we aren’t top 4 in the East, at what point might it be time for a move? I feel like the schedule through the end of May is pretty favorable. If we aren’t top 3 or 4 at that point, then what?
I’m in favor of a succession plan. lock in a top tier coach this summer, let Pineda fulfill his contract. Then move on without missing a beat. I think that is more than fair at this point.
Eh, if we are like 6th/7th in the East still come mid-June/July, I think it’s time to make that move then. This roster is good enough to be a top team in the EC. Good coaches will be available this summer. If you have a good coach “locked up” this summer, the calls for that coach to take over are going to get louder by the week if the team is still hovering around mid-table.
That said, I’m hoping we get on track and start climbing up the standings. The best path forward is almost always for the current guy to get it sorted and win.
For context
FRANK DEBOER
56.36 win%
31/5/19, 91gf, 66 ga, +25 GD
1.65 gf / gm
0.83 ga / gm
1.78 pts/gm
2 of the 3 banners hanging at the Benz
(Only 5 less wins in 3 less years)
This is a great stat. I had no idea DeBoring did that well. We kinda ran him out of town but his record speaks for itself. Supposedly, we wanted better results, but that has not happened. Granted, I think the league is better now but still, he did a pretty good job
The roster did well. He gets to wear the wins and all, but he lost the locker room in a kind of public mutiny. I think everyone could see the trajectory FDB was on after the roster got turned over. It was compounded by Josef getting hurt, but the team was completely toothless in that return from Covid tournament. Still, even that tumultuous run under FDB was better overall than Pineda’s. We need to start winning and eliminating the costly mistakes that seem to routinely cost us points.