Atlanta United welcomed Montreal to the Benz Wednesday night for a game with massive playoff implications, losing 2-1 and making their postseason dreams a very distant possibility. The opening half showed two sides very determined to play cautiously, with the opening 45 minutes ending in a goal a piece – including our old buddy Josef Martinez’s first goal in the Benz since he left. The dog fight that is the Eastern Conference playoff battle definitely didn’t disappoint tonight, but Atlanta just couldn’t take advantage of other favorable results. Here are the final whistle thoughts from the Benz.
Settling in
Both teams took quite some time to poke and prod and feel each other out. There were no early, clear-cut chances short of a dangerous free kick by Alexey Miranchuk, and it was about 25 minutes before Saba and Miranchuk combined for a couple of decent opportunities. It honestly had the feel of a playoff match where each team is more concerned about losing than actually going to win.
That’s not to say the players didn’t show some urgency, but the beginning of the match was very cautious. Atlanta grew into it well, though, getting Miranchuk, Saba, and Daniel Rios into the game and allowing them to test Montreal’s shaky backline.
Montreal’s defense
Like I just said, shaky is the word. And I don’t just mean positioning, decision making, etc. They were just very clumsy with their touches and never seemed truly confident. They were prone to some bad tackles and fouls, which eventually started turning to yellow cards. The harder Atlanta pushed them, the less stable they looked.
Of course, none of that matters if no goals are scored, and it would be none other than Josef Martinez who took advantage of wayyyy too much time in the box to open the game up. And honestly that sums much of the season up. Atlanta genuinely were the better team in the first half, but they slipped up and were punished.
Thankfully the Five Stripes allowed my point here to remain intact as Pedro Amador put in a dime of a ball to Daniel Rios, who headed it home to draw before the halftime whistle. They had been poking at Montreal’s left side all night and it paid off.
Josef Martinez
He had to score, he’s contractually obligated to do so in the Benz. What else do you expect? His two goals were vintage Josef, and it be what it be. I guess it’s fitting that Atlanta enjoyed so many goals from Josef to get them in the playoffs over the years, and it was he who all but put the nail in the coffin on their hopes this year.
Let us know below what you thought of the game!
I was at the match last night, and it was the emptiest and deadest atmosphere I’ve ever seen for AtlUtd home games, and I’ve been to most.
Boring, unskilled play and just awful to watch. I’ve been a season ticket holder from the start and next season will be my last if there’s not some improvement and glimmer of hope. I have plenty of other things I’d rather be doing than subjecting myself to this team. And, since MLS shortsightedly put the matches on Apple which require an extra subscription above and beyond the Apple TV price, I doubt they’ll get me back since I won’t be watching the games either.
Agreed. Most people in the lower bowl used to stand all game every game. Not anymore. I love this club, but they’re really putting that love to the test. I found myself hoping for fewer minutes of extra time at the end so i could go home a bit sooner. Sad.
Same old boring and lackluster soccer we’ve seen now for 4 seasons. This team will have to make a real turnover of the roster and add some exciting pieces or I’m pretty much out next season.
I am with you. In 2025 if we have the repeat of the last five seasons, I’m gone. Especially because ST holders don’t have access to World Cup tickets.
If a new manager is not hired in the next month, 2025 will be yet another transition year. Sixth in a row.
Garth, the club has gone backwards in your first year. Get your finger out.
there are still plenty of room on the allocation money express as we get closer to missing out on the playoffs, so everyone hop on.
stat of the season was on full display last night…
ATL xgs going into the match: ~60 (top 5 in east)
ATL goals going into the match: 42 (umm…not top 5 in east)
saba (leading scorer on the season) should have scored two, could have scored three, and that doesn’t count the myriad other opportunities created.
i wish i could have confidence in a complete roster overhaul, but 1) i don’t, and 2) that task is extremely difficult in the winter window with our anti-global season schedule. i think the best we can hope for is a real manager and a couple of decent moves this winter, and then an (please) active and aggressive summer 2025.
Shit team. Shit organization.
I know you don’t need depression fodder. But yet, I will deliver. Here were some pregame notes posted by the club:
– Brad only needs 1 clean sheet to be the 9th MLS keeper to achieve 60 career shutouts
– Lennon only needs 1 assist to tie Gressel for most in club history (35)
– Only 3 pts out of 9th place
– AU have never lost to Montreal at MBS
Guess how many of those we succeeded at today?
Ooh, bonus, we could have broken a regular pattern of being scored on by former players – should have been easy in a year where Montreal and Josef aren’t exactly on a scoring tear, right? But nah, we failed on this one… twice.
To be fair to last point, Josef has scored three goals in last two games before today (now five in last 3). Montreal was getting hot, but no reason we should have lost this game based on how they were playing. Team just has no fight.
Normally i’d be upset about a loss, but seeing Josef score and how he did it, it was just like watching games from the good ol’ days. Sucks for us, good for him.
I wasn’t even mad. Just put this season out of its misery. When Josef brought the ball down in the box before the first goal you just had a sense we were in trouble, and sure enough he lays it off gets space and hammers the ball into the top of the net. The second goal is one I feel like we’ve seen from him at least a dozen times wearing our shirt.
Still, we had our chances and couldn’t connect. Miranchuk isn’t breathtaking in the counter like Miggy, Almada or even Barco, but his passing is really something else. I think he’ll shine when we have a full complement of high-level attackers around him.
I think your point about Miranchuk is an “if” not a “when”. Wish I had more confidence in our player acquisition.
I still think he plays like an 8, not a 10. I can see his skill in ball control, passes and getting between the lines at times but he’s just not as dynamic of a 10 as we need. If we got a dynamic miggy/almada/barco style 10 with Miranchuk as an 8 and sliding Muyumba as a 6, that wouldn’t be too bad of a midfield.
Pedro is really starting to shine too, he just doesn’t have that LW help. And I think Brooks notices it, which is why he’s starting to step up. But a bit too late for this season.
I didn’t realize it was still soccer season. Cool.