Editor’s note: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution opted not to attend the resumption of the MLS season in Orlando amid the COVID-19 pandemic. League safety precautions severely limit the AJC’s in-depth coverage of Atlanta United. The following report has been compiled from television broadcast and video conference interviews.
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Resulting in the game plan being “thrown overboard,” Atlanta United’s chances of defeating Cincinnati in Thursday’s 1-0 loss were capsized when wingback Jake Mulraney was sent off in the 26th minute following his second yellow card.
“If it was 11 against 11, I had a good feeling that we will have a good result,” said Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer, who earlier in his post-game interview quipped the nautical comparison.
It was Atlanta United’s second consecutive loss in the tournament in a game in which it needed to earn at least one point.
Mulraney’s first yellow card came in the 12th minute when he clattered into Mathieu Deplagne. Not only did Mulraney receive a disciplinary action, he also took cleats to the midsection.
The second came 14 minutes later when Mulraney hauled down Joseph-Claude Gyau from behind 20 yards from goal.
It was just the third time in Mulraney’s professional career that he has been sent off for disciplinary action during a game, according to transfermarkt.co.uk.
Though down a player, de Boer said he thought his team was still the more dangerous side in the final minutes of the first half. Ezequiel Barco had a penalty kick overturned after a video review and Edgar Castillo forced a save.
“They had to come and didn’t have an idea how to play against 10 men,” de Boer said. “We were more dangerous at that moment. You hope that they will force it and we will try to get our chances.”
Cincinnati played more controlled in the second half, getting its winner on a 30-yard shot from Frankie Amaya in the 76th minute.
“Today, we were undone by the red card,” Atlanta United’s Jeff Larentowicz said.
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