Not looking like a team that had won seven of its previous eight games, Atlanta United was defeated by Philadelphia 1-0 in Chester, Pa., on Saturday in an important game in the MLS Eastern Conference.
The Five Stripes should consider themselves lucky that the result was that close.
Because of the defeat, Atlanta United could drop below the seven-team playoff line, depending upon the other results in the East on Saturday. Atlanta United entered the game with the possibility of winning and moving from sixth into a tie for third in the bunched-up East. Instead, the team (9-7-10) remains stuck on 36 points. It will host Miami on Wednesday.
“There was a big lack of intensity on and off the ball in the first half,” manager Gonzalo Pineda said. “We lost a very, very important game.”
Atlanta United was outshot by Philadelphia (18-6), which also put more shots on goal (9-2) in stopping the visitors’ three-game win streak.
Atlanta United had reasons for its poor performance. The most important was the absence of leading striker Josef Martinez, who didn’t travel to rest his right knee. Additionally, centerback Alan Franco was suspended because of yellow-card accumulation, winger Jurgen Damm was out with muscle tightness and striker Erick Torres and assistant coach Rob Valentino didn’t travel because they are in the health and safety protocols.
“Even without Josef Martinez, we have to do better, we have to create more chances, we have to get better movement off the ball,” Pineda said.
Pineda’s lineup was as predicted: goalkeeper Brad Guzan, centerbacks Miles Robinson, George Campbell and Alan Franco, fullback Brooks Lennon and George Bello, central midfielders Santiago Sosa, Matheus Rossetto and Marcelino Moreno, and wide midfielder Luiz Araujo and Ezequiel Barco playing as “false nine” strikers.
The front three, playing in this formation, scored three goals against Orlando a few games ago. On Saturday, it was shut out for the second time in five games under its new managers. It scored 10 goals in the other three games.
Pineda spoke Thursday of his team staying humble and doing the little things to keep its streak going.
Instead of doing those things, Atlanta United looked sloppy and tired in the first half. Players tried to dribble through traffic rather than passing, which led to the hosts leading possession. That rarely happens against Atlanta United, which leads MLS in that category. The Union used that possession advantage to get off 12 shots, putting five on goal, to Atlanta United’s four and one. The Union created nine chances to Atlanta United’s two.
“I like to have a goalkeeper that can save us at any moment,” Pineda said. “What I would prefer is the opposite goalkeeper is the one that is receiving a lot of shots and chances, trying to save his team.”
At one point in the first half, Guzan pointed out that Philadelphia’s back line was 10-15 yards in Atlanta United’s half. Instead of playing passes over the top, Atlanta United continued to try to dribble or was just wasteful, with Philadelphia players several times taking the ball of the feet of its opponent.
Credit: MLS
“So we can talk about tactics and talk about what they feel. We can talk about whatever,” Guzan said. “For me that wasn’t about that today, and that’s why it’s frustrating. It was, it’s down to us as players to make sure that we we come in with the right mentality, right? OK, can you tell I’m pissed now, right? I know we have the quality. I know, we have the ability to do this.”
Atlanta United’s defense started the second half playing better, but the attack still struggled with a lack of movement and sharpness with the ball.
Still scoreless and still not threatening Andre Blake’s goal, Pineda brought on Jackson Conway to give his team a striker in place of Moreno, who struggled to influence the game, and Jake Mulraney for Bello in the 69th minute.
But the Union struck a minute later to take a 1-0 lead on a goal by Kacper Przybylko. Jose Martinez beat both Conway and Mulraney to get off his cross for the striker to roll underneath Guzan from close range.
Pineda brought on midfielder Tyler Wolff in the 79th minute for Campbell to try to get more players in the midfield.
The team created a couple of chances but nothing that gave hope of a different result.
“We talked about this being a playoff game, we talked about raising the intensity, making sure that we had the right mentality,” Guzan said. “And from the first whistle we were on the backfoot. We were sloppy with the ball. And our work rate wasn’t good enough from start to finish to deserve anything from the game. And ultimately, we were punished.”
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