CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Atlanta United’s first road match this season went like so many others the past few seasons, with the team falling 2-0 at Charlotte on Saturday.
Charlotte’s goals happened in a four-minute span early in the second half and could be argued as coming from mostly nothing because both started from clearances but were helped by defensive mistakes by Atlanta United (1-1-0) .
Atlanta United’s offense, so threatening in last week’s 3-2 win against Montreal, showed few flashes and finished with four shots on goal from 14 chances created. Designated Players Emmanuel Latte Lath and Alexey Miranchuk combined for five shots, none on goal, before they were subbed off. Miguel Almiron finished with three shots on goal.
“As a group, we have to learn from these kind of experiences,” manager Ronny Deila said. “So we have gotten six games (including preseason) without losing. Now we lose, and we don’t like to do that, and especially not this way, because we were, in my opinion, we were very even with them, maybe a little bit better than them in the first half, and then they win. They deserve to win in the end because of what’s happening in second.”
Deila, without his top three fullbacks, Brooks Lennon, Pedro Amador and Ronald Hernandez, and midfielder Mateusz Klich because of flu-like symptoms, selected a lineup composed of striker Latte Lath, midfielders Almiron, Miranchuk, Saba Lobjanidze, Bartosz Slisz and Jay Fortune, in for Klich, centerbacks Stian Gregersen and Derrick Williams, who didn’t start last week because of an injury, and fullbacks Matthew Edwards, making his second start and tasked with containing Wilfried Zaha, and Luis Abram, moved from centerback because of the absences, and goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
Highlights of Charlotte’s lineup included Zaha starting his first match and striker Patrick Agyemang.
A dull first half became much more frenetic in the opening minutes of the second half, similar to last week’s match against Montreal when the visitors came out with more energy than Atlanta United.
This week it wasn’t Charlotte having more energy. It was more about the randomness of long clearances mixed with being in the right place at the right time.
Charlotte took a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute on a broken sequence, similar to how Montreal tied last week’s match in the opening minutes of the second half. It started with a long ball clearance by Charlotte. Williams won the aerial duel, but Zaha was first to the second ball. He was tackled from behind by Slisz near the top of the 18-yard box. The ball rolled to Pep Biel on the right, who may have been offside if not for the fact that Slisz last touched the ball. Biel’s deflected shot rolled into the corner.
Deila said he could see the players start to lose their formation discipline after the first goal.
“Everybody goes, not everybody, but many goes into their shells,” Deila said. “Then we are not doing what we talked about, like we did in the first half.”
Zaha made it 2-0 Charlotte in the 54th minute. The sequence started with another long clearance by Charlotte. Edwards misread the angle of the pass as he and Liel Abada competed for the ball. Abada dribbled for 15 yards before taking a shot that Guzan parried. The rebound went to Zaha, who shot it into the lower right corner. Guzan said his left foot slipped as he planted to dive.
“Both goals, just nothing balls over the top,” Guzan said. “We don’t deal with them, and next thing you know, they’re in our box. And at that point, anything can happen.”
Deila went with the rare four-player sub in the 72nd minute, bringing on Jamal Thiare for Latte Lath, Tristan Muyumba for Miranchuk, Silva for Saba Lobjanidze and Edwin Mosquera for Edwards. Fortune moved to right fullback and Almiron moved to attacking midfielder. Atlanta United had 11 shots, two on goal, and an expected goals of 0.8 when the subs were made.
Dominik Chong Qui made his MLS debut in the 88th minute as a sub for Williams. At 17 years old, he’s the third-youngest player to appear in an Atlanta United match.
“I think we were more dangerous than them but having said that, we need to deal with ups and downs, same when we are up,” Deila said. “And when we are going down, we have to be strong and lift ourselves up again, and that is everybody’s responsibility. We will turn every stone to make that as quick as possible.”
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