Atlanta United can’t escape drama.
Minutes from taking home a win after a goal from Josef Martinez, a soft penalty awarded to New England resulted in a penalty kick converted by Teal Bunbury in the 88th minute. The result was a 1-1 draw on Wednesday at Gillette Stadium.
As has been the case in the past few games, Atlanta United had some opinions about the officiating. Particularly Mikey Ambrose, who said he was about to tap a cross into the goal when he was run over from behind in the penalty box earlier in the second half and no penalty was awarded.
“It’s a tie that feels like a loss,” Atlanta United captain Michael Parkhurst said, which was a sentiment similar to one sent out by club president Darren Eales immediately following the match: “It’s two dropped points in a tight top of the East where we could have separated ourselves from New England.”
On a beautiful night to watch a soccer game witnessed by what the Revs said were slightly more than 10,000 people in the Boston area but looked to be much fewer, Atlanta United moved to 8-3-2 this season and into a solo hold of first in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta United has the most points (26) in MLS and leads the league in points per game.
Playing without Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (yellow card accumulation) and Greg Garza (red card), Atlanta United was on the verge of posting its fourth shutout this season when Kevin Kratz barely collided with Kristztian Nemeth in the penalty box. Nemeth hit the ground and referee Silviu Petrescu immediately signaled a penalty. Parkhurst described it as soft. Jeff Larentowicz said he thought both players were falling down at the moment.
Petrescu never motioned that the Video Assistant Referee was communicating with him to review the call, though all penalties are reviewed by the VAR.
“If the penalty they called against us was very close and the penalty not called on Mikey was very close, just not as close,” Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino said.
Atlanta United has felt hard done by VAR and the replay system after several calls have gone against them this season, including a goal that was disallowed and another soft penalty given in the previous game against the New York Red Bulls.
“You make your own luck,” Parkhurst said. “It should never have been at that point. We should never have put ourselves in that position. We did and we paid the price. We weren’t clinical enough and we gave them one chance.”
While Atlanta United may be right to question the penalty, Parkhurst is right that the team can only blame itself that the game was still tied because it created more than enough chances in the second half to match the seven goals it scored against the Revs last season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
After a mostly drab first 20 minutes, Martinez opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a simple shot from eight yards away. It was his ninth goal this season and Julian Gressel’s fourth assist and Darlington Nagbe’s third assist. Gressel’s pass to Martinez was another example of how well the German has taken to wingback. He quickly transitioned from defense to offense, got down the field and put the ball into a spot where he knew an Atlanta United player would be. It just so happened to be Martinez. Miguel Almiron was making a beeline for the pass.
“I don’t think the first half we deserved to be up a goal,” Martino said. “We didn’t take advantage of that whole half.”
Playing with a rebuilt defense that featured Ambrose at left wingback and Chris McCann and Franco Escobar on either side of Parkhurst as the three centerbacks, Atlanta United’s defense was put under pressure throughout the half. New England’s press has been effective this season and it helped the Revs create four shooting chances in the first 45 minutes. The problem for New England manager Brad Friedel was his players didn’t take shots that challenged Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who made three saves in the half.
Atlanta United’s claim for a penalty was denied by Petrescu when it appeared that Ambrose was tripped in the penalty box early in the second half.
“I don’t know how it was not a penalty,” Ambrose said. “The guy just bulldozed me over. I guess the ref just couldn’t see it.”
Atlanta United almost broke through again a minute later when Martinez played Ezequiel Barco through, but his right-footed shot was smothered by Turner.
Barco played Almiron through in the 63rd minute, but his close shot was blocked by Antonio Milnar Delamea.
Two minutes later, Martinez found Barco sprinting down the left. He cut back to avoid a sliding defender, which gave Turner time to get into position to block the shot. The rebound bounced off a Revs defender and almost rolled back into the goal.
Instead of leading by as much as 5-0, Atlanta United led 1-0 in the 68th minute.
Atlanta United wasn’t done missing chances.
In the 83rd minute, Barco and Romario Williams, who came on for Martinez, combined with Barco’s low shot being palmed by Turner from the ground, into the air, off the crossbar and away from the goal. An exasperated Barco kicked the turf after the ball was eventually cleared.
Two minutes later, Almiron volleyed over the bar from six yards away.
And then came the penalty call against Kratz.
“We are creating chances, we put them under pressure, I thought we defended well as a team,” Jeff Larentowicz. “It’s another game in three days.”
Atlanta United will host Philadelphia on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is supposed to open the roof for the game. It will be just the second time the team has played in the building with the roof opened. The tough stretch of games will continue with the team hosting Charleston in the U.S. Open Cup at Kennesaw State, and a trip to Yankee Stadium to play NYCFC on June 9.
“The season is long, the games even out,” Larentowicz said. “There are games you win that you probably shouldn’t have. You have games you lose that you probably should have won. If that’s one of those games tonight, then so be it. We did enough to win we just didn’t do it.”
Martino said the draw, and the way it happened, shouldn’t affect the team in the stretch of games.
“As long as we keep playing second halfs like we played tonight, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about,” Martino said. “I think the team has been playing well and they’ve deserved the credit.”
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