NASHVILLE -- Atlanta United lost its focus and gave up two goals in the second half and another in extra time to fall to Nashville 3-2 on Wednesday. The defeat knocked Atlanta United out of the U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32.
The poor performance by the offense and defense, which included giving up another set-piece goal, in the second half offset goals from Thiago Almada and Luiz Araujo in the first half.
Atlanta United appeared to have the game won 2-1 until it gave up a late goal on a header by C.J. Sapong in the second minute of stoppage time to tie the game and force extra time. Ethan Zubak then scored the winner in the 94th minute on a Nashville counterattack.
“I felt that that they fought they did very well, for many parts, it’s just little pieces where maybe we’re not as focused and, and the opponent is very clinical, the opponent has one chance and they put it inside the goal,” manager Gonzalo Pineda said.
Atlanta United, the defending champ because of its victory over Minnesota in 2019 before the tournament took a two-year, COVID-forced hiatus, didn’t put a shot on goal in the second half and suffered yet another injury when Andrew Gutman was forced off in the second half what what appeared to be a shoulder injury. Pineda said he didn’t yet have an update on Gutman. Tests are needed.
Both of Atlanta United’s goals were set up by sharp passes from Marcelino Moreno, who wasn’t credited with an assist on the first goal but was on the second. After going through a four-game stretch in which it scored just two goals, the team has scored six in its past two games. But it put zero on goal from its four shots in the second half.
“The lack of possession that I wasn’t happy with, like, when we have to connect certain passes, and we lose possession of the ball, we gave them the opportunity to come back and attack us,” Pineda said. “That’s what worries me a little bit that in those moments, we need more composure on the ball and don’t give the ball away so easily.”
Pineda selected a strong lineup. Ronaldo Cisneros, who scored a hat trick in last week’s 4-1 win against Chicago, started at striker with Moreno, Almada and Araujo in support. Franco Ibarra and Matheus Rossetto partnered together for the third consecutive game in central midfield, with Gutman and Ronald Hernandez as the fullbacks, Alan Franco and Alex de John as the centerbacks and Bobby Shuttleworth in goal.
Atlanta United, which scored three goals in the first half of last week’s win against Chicago, got off to another hot start when Almada outran Walker Zimmerman and turned in Gutman’s cross to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute. Moreno’s pass into space for Gutman to run onto was key to the goal. It was scored on Atlanta United’s first shot on goal.
Atlanta United increased its lead to 2-0 when Araujo scored from close range in the 29th minute. Moreno passed the ball to Araujo, streaking into the box. He played the ball to himself with a neat flick past Dave Romney before slamming a shot into the corner. Moreno was credited with an assist.
Pineda spoke on Thursday about his team’s need to maintain intensity throughout a game. He felt they let off during the second half against Chicago.
His team didn’t get off to the start he likely wanted Wednesday either.
Nashville earned a penalty kick in the 48th minute when Franco brought down Ake Loba from behind. Hany Mukhtar converted the penalty kick to cut Atlanta United’s lead to 2-1 in the 50th minute. Franco was also given a yellow card.
Nashville missed a chance to tie the game when Zimmerman slammed a header off the crossbar in the 52nd minute. He was one of three Nashville players at the back post being defended by one Atlanta United player.
Gutman was forced off in the 58th minute with an injury. Gutman sprinted in to make a tackle and was tripped, landing awkwardly on his shoulder. Brooks Lennon replaced him with Hernandez moving from the right to the left. Caleb Wiley, who can also play left back, is injured and wasn’t part of the game-day roster.
Pineda changed the formation in the 69th minute with the insertion of George Campbell as a third centerback, and Emerson Hyndman in for Moreno.
Nashville thought it had the tying goal when Zimmerman scored on a header in the 79th minute. But the goal was called back because of either an offside or a foul committed by a Nashville player before the shot.
Nashville kept attacking and got its final two goals to defeat Atlanta United, which will host New England on Sunday when MLS play resumes.
“There is little details that we can be more consistent with,” Rossetto said. “Definitely working on those little details to not concede.”
The first goal, by Sapong, started with a long throw in. Pineda said the team worked on defending long throw ins.
“It’s obvious that in certain moments, little details, we talk about the set pieces, we work a lot on the set pieces, we work a lot on the long throw-ins and, and just little pieces of lack of concentration or pressing at the right times,” Pineda said.
Araujo kept attacking in extra time. He forced a save with one shot and put in a cross that Dom Dwyer tried to bicycle kick with minutes remaining.
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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule
Feb. 27 Atlanta United 3, Sporting KC 1
March 5 Colorado 3, Atlanta United 0
March 13 Atlanta United 2, Charlotte 1
March 19 Atlanta United 3, Montreal 3
April 2 Atlanta United 1, D.C. United 0
April 10 Charlotte 1, Atlanta United 0
April 16 Atlanta United 0, Cincinnati 0
April 24 Miami 2, Atlanta United 1
April 30 Montreal 2, Atlanta United 1
May 7 Atlanta United 4, Chicago 1
Sunday vs. New England, 1:30 p.m., ESPN
May 21 at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. FOX
May 28 vs. Columbus Crew, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 19 vs Miami, 3 p.m., ESPN2
June 25 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 30 at New York Red Bulls, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 3 at NYCFC, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 9 vs. Austin, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 13 vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 17 vs. Orlando, 3 p.m., ABC
July 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 9:30 p.m., FS1
July 30 at Chicago, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
August 6 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., ABC
August 13 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
August 17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
August 21 at Columbus, 6 p.m., FS1
August 28 vs. D.C. United, 4 p.m., UNIV
August 31 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m., FS1
Sept. 4 at Portland, 5:30 p.m., FOX
Sept. 10 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 14 at Orlando, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept 17 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 1 at New England, 1 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 9 vs. NYCFC, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
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