Atlanta United will continue a three-game homestand on Sunday night when FC Cincinnati comes to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Last Saturday, against the Philadelphia Union, Atlanta United was back at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first of those three matches (FC Cincinnati and rival Orlando City will be next). There couldn’t have been a better time for a reeling Atlanta United side to pick up points, momentum, and good vibes. And for all intents and purposes, the match started off on the right note. The 1-0 loss feels like a defeat because it is, but there’s more to the match than the overall result.
Play one: Matt Edwards didn’t have any near misses on offense, but might have made the biggest play of the game on defense. Edwards blocked a clear shot at the Atlanta United goal in the 40th minute. It was one of the few clear shots the Philadelphia Union took during the first half. Edwards, not the most demonstrative player on the team, pumped his fists as the ball went out of bounds.
Play two: The second half of the match saw Luis Abram make the first gaffe of the match when his sliding block of a Philadelphia shot grazed his hand. The handball call resulted in a penalty kick and goal for the Union’s leading goal scorer Tai Baribo. The only goal of the match came in the 59th minute and was Baribo’s 11th of the season. That goal simultaneously ignited a fire under Baribo’s teammates and let all of the air out of The Benz. Up to that point, the momentum was on Atlanta United’s side.
The plays from Edwards and Abram can be seen as moments of passion and fight. This team is not quitting, says manager Ronny Deila, but they do have to fully understand the position they are in at the moment.
“We have to accept the situation,” he said during his postgame press conference on Saturday.
Atlanta United still hasn’t won a match since March 29, when they defeated New York City FC 4-3. That was eight matches ago.
Once again, Atlanta United manager Ronny Deila tinkered with the starting XI for Saturday’s match. This first-year manager for Atlanta United put Matt Edwards, Jay Fortune, Tristan Muyumba, and Jamal Thiare, the goal scorer during the 1-1 draw at Austin, on the pitch. There was an extra surge of energy with those players on the pitch against Philadelphia. He might want to keep the same energy against Cincinnati.
Leading goal-scorer Emmanuel Latte Lath, Edwin Mosquera, and Saba Lobjanidze both came off the bench against Philadelphia.
In the locker room following the loss on Saturday, both Edwards and Fortune used the word “frustrating” when describing the team’s current state of affairs.
During training this week, the team looked energetic during workouts and drills. Several players talked to the media after practice. Everything looks like nothing’s wrong, and the only two victories they have had this season were against Montreal and NYCFC, the former being dead last in the Eastern Conference.
“I’m here to build something, and that’s what I’m going to do,” Deila said.