Despite millions of dollars spent to improve its attack, Atlanta United was shut out for the second consecutive match, drawing with New York Red Bulls 0-0 on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was the first time since July 2022 that Atlanta United was held scoreless in consecutive matches.
The team’s offense was electric in the first half, same as in the previous two matches. The defense was imperious. Instead of the defense disappointing in the final 45 minutes, as was the case in the first two matches, the offense failed to produce anything substantive against Red Bulls with the outcome not settled.
Atlanta United finished with 11 shots, seven on goal, and an expected goals of 1.6 in front of an announced attendance of 42,562. The problem for the team is 10 of those shots, with six on goal, came in the first half.
“I think we played unbelievably good in the half an hour,” manager Ronny Deila said. “I really enjoyed myself watching that, just like another level that is really, really high. But the next 60 minutes ... that’s not good enough. That’s how it is.”
Deila’s lineup was composed of $22 million striker Emmanuel Latte Lath, $13 million midfielder Alexey Miranchuk, $10 million winger Miguel Almiron, Saba Lobjanidze, Tristan Muyumba, making his first start this season, and Bartosz Slisz, fullbacks Pedro Amador, making his first start this season, and Matthew Edwards, centerbacks Stian Gregersen and Derrick Williams, and goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
The first half was very similar to the scoreless first half of last week’s match at Charlotte. Atlanta United dominated the Red Bulls but couldn’t find a difference-making goal. Atlanta United created seven chances to Red Bulls’ two. Atlanta United finished with 1.6 expected goals to Red Bulls’ 0.2. Red Bulls didn’t put a shot on goal.
“The first three games, I think we’re playing great first halves,” Almiron said. “I think we have to improve a lot to be more consistent.”
The important question for Atlanta United was would it play better in the second half than it did in its previous two matches when it gave up four goals total?
Atlanta United’s defense held firm for the opening 20 minutes. Its offense, though, disappeared, failing to even take a shot in that span.
“We didn’t play with our DNA during the second half,” Muyumba said. “And sometimes you can play bad. But today wasn’t a bad day for us. But you need to keep your DNA, and play with your your DNA, your identity, and what you want to do on the on the field, keep the control.”
To explain, Deila said in the first half the team played the simple, short passes that would enable the team to methodically move up the field by pressing Red Bulls into their own half while also getting its fullbacks involved in the attack. Edwards was particularly effective in the first half. Deila said the tactic was something they talked about “a hundred” times.
Instead, in the second half, the team started playing much more vertically with hopeful long passes down the field, which resulted in turnover after turnover. Deila pointed out Red Bulls finished with almost 200 more passes than Atlanta United.
“Did that come from the first half?” he asked. “I hope everybody goes home and see the game and learns from it, because that’s the only way to get get better.”
Deila subbed on Edwin Mosquera and Noah Cobb for Latte Lath and Edwards in the 68th minute. Lobjanidze moved to striker and Mosquera came on at right wing. Matuesz Klich and Cayman Togashi, making his debut, came on for Muyumba and Lobjanidze in the 76th minute. Xande Silva came on for Almiron in the 87th minute.
Still, nothing much happened in the second half.
“I don’t think about scoring goals, Deila said. “I think about how we produce and how we play as a team, and the first half an hour shows where we can be, and then it’s about how we can get those periods longer, because then I don’t think it is easy to handle.”
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