Atlanta United 3-0 Charlotte Independence: Key takeaways

Atlanta United’s first appearance in the 2024 U.S. Open Cup gave them their first win in all competitions since March 31, beating USL League One’s Charlotte Independence 3-0. After a shaky first half with a Charlotte penalty called a free kick by the referee and little chance creation, Atlanta United grew into the match thanks to two goals by Nick Firmino and proceeded to dominate until the final whistle. While this wasn’t Atlanta at full strength, there are still some key takeaways we should draw from tonight’s match.

The Youngsters Came to Play

Atlanta United brought out a young lineup full of names for their first U.S. Open Cup appearance, and it paid off for them. While short-term signing Ashton Gordon struggled and Luke Brennan was inconsistent (but flashed moments of brilliance nonetheless), players like Matt Edwards (another Academy prospect), Ajani Fortune, and Nick Firmino starred. Edwards was great defensively and was an engine building out of the back. Fortune had his best game in an Atlanta United shirt, connecting the midfield as a facilitator and making the right decisions playing forward. Firmino always seems to get himself involved into games, even on days where he doesn’t receive the ball much. Yes, he didn’t get it much on Tuesday, but his few touches were important as two precise finishes after runs into the box gave him a brace and Atlanta their first two goals.

Finally, Noah Cobb and Efrain Morales did a good job building out of the back with Dax McCarty and keeping a clean sheet. All in all, this game (and especially the second half) was a positive preview of the future of Atlanta United.

Strong Veteran Presence

What a game from Dax McCarty. The MLS veteran started the match with a giveaway that almost led to a goal, but he never looked back. His combination play in the midfield was incredible. He was up and down the pitch. He set up the first goal with a great pass wide and then letting the cross go through his legs to Firmino for the finish. He could be what the Atlanta United first team needs as someone who can control the midfield and play through pressure, just like Darlington Nagbe.

Daniel Rios had a good game tonight as well, scoring the 3rd goal after creating numerous opportunities for himself, forcing big saves from Charlotte goalkeeper Austin Pack. He performed exceptionally as a hold-up striker and was Atlanta’s biggest consistent threat in front of goal the entire night. I was skeptical of the signing at first, but he has done very well both as a starting and backup striker.

Josh Cohen made his first-team debut for Atlanta United and did well, making some very big saves on Charlotte’s few attempts on goal and managing the young back line well.

Finally, Atlanta’s first-team substitutes saw out the game as planned. Bartosz Slisz and Brooks Lennon played well, but Caleb Wiley had a much-needed impressive performance along with the impressive return of Xande Silva, who almost scored but pulled a 1 on 1 shot just wide right.

Stian Gregersen’s Injury

Bad news for Atlanta came early in the first half. A team full of players recovering from injury and currently hampered by it (Tyler Wolff, Derrick Williams, Jamal Thiare) lost their starting center back who just made his return from a meniscus injury to a concussion. Gregersen was solid when he was on the pitch, so let’s pray the concussion isn’t serious and that he’ll be back with the team soon.

First half struggles, and tactical success in the second

Atlanta United were patient in their buildup in the first half looking for openings, yet it hurt the team in the end. There were barely any shots on goal, first off because of the slow buildup that applied zero to no pressure to the Charlotte backline and second because Daniel Rios was playing as a false 9, meaning he and others were rarely in the box to meet crosses. Gonzalo Pineda has tried this before with Giorgos Giakoumakis against MLS opponents and it has not worked out, nor did it work out on Tuesday. Atlanta works best and creates chances freely when at a high tempo and with a high striker that can still hold up the ball if needed. In the first half, this play was missed.

In the 2nd half, Atlanta got back to the basics of what Pineda’s team has been known for. The combination play in the midfield and out wide was superb, and the team was consistently able to whip in dangerous and precise crosses from out wide that led to all 3 goals off of quick build-up. Atlanta’s play out wide has to be replicated if they want to carry their Cup success over to MLS play. Too often in league matches, they force it down the middle or play too slow to get into good positions when near the touchline. The pace from the second half has to be the norm for all matches going forward, especially against more disciplined defensive opponents.

Finally, Atlanta played with a lot of space in the midfield and against a Charlotte team that was bunkered in to hit on the counter. We’re still yet to see if they can replicate this performance against a high press or a press trap, but today’s result must be seen as a positive and something to build on.

What were your key takeaways from Atlanta United’s victory? Let us know in the comments below.