Despite an early opening goal, Atlanta United gave up three unanswered to the Chicago Fire in a 3-2 loss at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday night, Atlanta’s second-to-last home match of the season.
Things got off to a bright start for Atlanta, who took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute. Miguel Almirón was sprung by Mauricio Amaro on a counterattack and played a beautiful ball into Tomás Jacob. With time and space to shoot it inside the penalty area, Jacob fired it past Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady to make it 1-0.
In the 30th minute, though, Chicago tied it on a failed clearance by Atlanta. The ball made its way to Anton Saletros, who bombed one in from just beyond the box that leveled the score at 1-1.
Atlanta thought it had a 2-1 lead in first-half stoppage time as Breel Embolo put home Jacob’s cross from the right side, but the assistant referee’s flag went up for offside.
But Chicago made it 2-1 in the 51st minute on an awful giveaway by Lucas Hoyos. Hoyos’s pass, intended for Jay Fortune, instead found the foot of second-half substitute Anzor Mekvabishvili, who deposited it into an open net for his first MLS goal.
Later, Chicago was awarded an indirect free kick after Hoyos played a ball that was passed back to him inside the box by Paulo Diaz. Philip Zinckernagel scored on the attempt to increase the Fire lead to 3-1.
Embolo shrinked the margin to 3-2 as his diving header on a ElÃas Báez delivery gave Atlanta life in the 68th minute. Despite a lively final portion of the match, though, the equalizer never came as Atlanta sunk to yet another home defeat.
Atlanta United returns to action on Wednesday against New York City FC. A loss in that one will confirm the inevitable and seal a second-straight season with them out of the playoffs.
Atlanta pulled one back in the 68th minute, though. ElÃas Báez fired in a pass to Breel Embolo, who met it with a perfect diving header to cut it to 3-2.
Culture of losing.