Atlanta United really needed to win that match – not simply for Tommy’s beard’s sake – but simply for the confidence of the team after two disappointing home matches. They didn’t, and that’s now two objectively bad teams Atlanta has failed to win against on the road. It’s tough, because on paper this is the best Atlanta United team in years, and these matches simply feel like losses and lost points.
Great chances
The Five Stripes looked fairly dangerous and somewhat cohesive in the first half, and the decision to have Bartek Slisz (who was phenomenal….again) assist on the right wing definitely helped create chances going forward. Some of this may have been due to the late addition of Efrain Morales – who did very well, by the way – but Atlanta just couldn’t capitalize on Chicago essentially handing them the majority of the pitch.
The second half started a bit more choppy, and Atlanta struggled to really establish any sort of dominance early. The chances dried up immensely and it seemed like frustration was starting to seep in. Daniel Rios and Edwin Mosquera were subbed in for Giakoumakis and Wolff and a handful of moments were generated, but the Five Stripes just couldn’t save Tommy’s beard score a goal. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t good enough, and that’s been a running theme over the past few matches.
Whyyyyyyy
Chicago hasn’t been a good team. Atlanta needed to win, and there really isn’t a valid excuse for this. Away wins have to happen and the team did what they could to prepare for the struggles of playing somewhere else in MLS, but it hasn’t come to fruition. Unfortunately it boils down to just…not being good enough. The talent is clearly there, but it seems like at times the team has started overthinking what they’re doing in the final third.
It’s almost unfathomable how Jekyll and Hyde this team looks between away and home, but at least before…the team would only lose on the road. It’s now three matches in a row of disappointing results; 2 at home and 1 on the road. The NYCFC match could arguably be added to that list, but either way the team has to figure out a better formula to live up to expectations.
Let us know what y’all thought of the match down below, and be sure to join us Wednesday night as Tommy quite literally shaves his beard live on the podcast -insert crying emoji here-
Founding Member and season ticket holder who lives in Chicago. I was at the match. Pineda is not the guy to get this group of players and the club where they/it should be. There is a degree of disjointedness in nearly every performance, even the good ones. Really tired of this being the standard. This team is one of most talented in the league and will be lucky to finish 6th at the current rate. When will the front office realize this guy isn’t the one?
I am a Founding Member and still have my season tickets despite living in Chicago. I was at the game. My sister even traveled from Atlanta for it. It is absurd that a team with this level of talent does not achieve more. I have said it for two years: Pineda is not the guy. I appreciate that he has had to navigate injuries and a constantly changing roster. But, the way this team switches off and gives up stupid goals time and time again is unforgiveable. The mentality of the coach translates to the team. And, his response to both the Philly and Cincy games (I was present in Atlanta for the Cincy game) tells you everything you need to know.
We have a top three team and to the comment below, are playing like a mid-table team, at best. We have a Ferrari being driven by a toddler. Yes, the players need to execute better. Yes, injuries thwart team chemistry. But, a coach is responsible for what happens, period. The way Pineda deflected the responsibility post-Cincy confirms every degree of his incompetence and unwillingness to own his mistakes.
I am also a lifelong Arsenal fan, and having watched them fall from grace under Wenger, and then endure several season of mediocrity under Emery and Arteta, the parallels are very clear to me. The Arsenal are competing for the title now not because they are necessarily more talented than the teams of the last six seasons, but because their mentality has changed. Arteta has shifted the mentality of the club and the players. We are lacking this kind of presence in a coach at Atlanta United.
I recognize it is unrealistic to have a coach of this caliber in Atlanta (though, Tata was not far off – look at where Miami is, btw – and it’s not all down to Messi…it’s down to having someone who understands how to get the best out of the players at his disposal). But, Atlanta United deserves to have a manager who at a minimum gets the best out of the team. We have not seen that since Tata (de Boer had his moments, but never consistently). Pineda has not once filled me with any kind of confidence. And, the mental mistakes that this team continues to make are evidence that he is not the right guy for the job.
Not that I care for Jim Curtin or Caleb Porter, but are both achieving more with less talent, in my opinion (and have done so on a consistent basis). A better coach gets us to where we need to be. My opinion now that we are nine games in (and having watched this mediocrity for three seasons, now) is that we all better strap in for a disappointing season and anticipate another barely made playoff only to get trounced by Columbus or Cincy again.
***I would love to not be so negative, but I can only assess the team based on what I have seen – Chicago is objectively poor and the fact we couldn’t win against them (without their two best players on the pitch, no less – Shakiri and Gutierrez) tells you just about everything regarding our team.
We’re on 12 points from 9 games which extrapolates to 45 points on the season, AKA a play-in slot
Below top 4 in the East this season is a failure imo, and I think most will agree. We have such a good roster.
This game simply showed the issue in not taking more than 2 points from the last 3 games prior.
Hard to complain about winning the xG battle and completely dominating the run of play on the road. Sometimes draws will happen in those scenarios.
I found no glaring issues with this performance in a vacuum. In fact, I thought it was a reasonably strong performance.
However, thats 3 points in the last 4, and however you slice it, thats leaving a sour taste in everyones mouths.
With a win against philly and draw vs cincy, that would have given us 6 in those 4, which would have at least been somewhat palatable. We’d be 5th with a game in hand on everyone above us.
The one positive: we’re tied for fewest goals conceded, despite being on CB #4 and 5.
This is a good observation. In a vacuum, I think we’d be fine with a point on the road where we don’t make any major mistakes and don’t appear to pick up any injuries. Even against a kind of bad team like Chicago. However, when we’ve blown opportunities to bank points in recent games, this is kind of one we needed to win. And as challenging as road points can be to collect in this league, the better teams find ways to do it. If AUFC is really a great team, that’s a game we should win.
I addition to that, I think it is just highlighting another nuance of GP’s inability to manage this team’s mentality – a team that drops last-minute points at home 2 weeks in a row should be mad and hungry enough to go claim 3 points against a crap team in the same place RSL stomped them 1 week ago.
That’s football. Both teams were target attempts found the wood work. I saw a team still rounding and gelling we had a lot of injuries and shuffling of the units so I expect the glitching in results it’s a long season with international tourneys and then the leagues cup. Strap in 🤣🤣
I want to see more of morales and less of Williams and please no more Abram or Hernandez. Thiago is forcing it trying to be “the man” versus trusting his team
Wolf offers nothing and I think we traded the wrong player to Toronto. I will take the point and the clean sheet all positives
Wolff was within a 1080p vs 1440p camera of having a goal.
Just in case you forgot how poor Etienne’s full body of work has been. Last year, Wolff outperformed Ettiene in every season but 1 in his career with 6 goal contributions. Ettiene’s started earning substantial minutes in 2017. That is a lot of nothing. While Wolff has been very poor this season, he has still managed to contribute more than Ettiene.
Pineda has been given a pass up till now because of squad issues (like having almost the entire starting lineup out injured) Now that we have arguably one of the most talented teams in the league he’s going to have to turn things around fast, or he’ll need to be replaced BEFORE the end of the season…
Last night I was thinking about who is playing better, the same, or worse this year vs. last year. Here is what I think:
Almada — much worse (although last night was better than earlier this year)
GG – about the same (although last night he was worse)
Saba – worse
Silva – worse
Muyumba – worse
Slisz – much better
Wiley – much worse
Lennon – the same (although last night he was worse)
Abram – better
Guzan – much better
No one else is rated because the rest of our CBs are new
So, in my opinion, which I know isn’t worth much, we have two players playing much better, 1 playing better (who is primarily a sub), 2 playing about the same, and 5 playing worse or much worse. I don’t have a good reason why that should be the case, so to me that is on the coaching.
I’m also very concerned that the two players from last year that supposedly would be in Europe for big fees this year (Almada and Wiley) have severly regressed (not just plateaued), and there are no rumors that anyone is interested in them.
Haha – I thought Slisz joined in the summer window last year — oops!
I would say Saba and Muyumba have improved.
Saba is extremely consistent on the wing and frequently involved in our most dangerous attacks. He would be league XI caliber with better finishing.
Muyumba has not been perfect on the ball but has also not had any goal conceding mistakes and seems to move the ball out of pressure and into attack more often than not.
I didn’t see it, am traveling this weekend. Guess I won’t watch it later. Was really hoping for a win when I checked this morning. Braves lost too 🙁
This game made me glad I don’t have Apple TV.
Took advantage of the free away tickets for this one…. all I can say is at least the pizza earlier was good.
fake news. they don’t serve ny style pizza in chicago 😉
My mother taught me that if you do not have anything nice to say…….,
Slisz was incredible. Lennon was horrible. Fantastic debut for Morales. Otherwise, that game was horrible to watch.
I regret that I can only give this one like.
This could have been the whole article, honestly.