Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan suffered a right Achilles injury during Saturday’s MLS match against FC Cincinnati at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Guzan was carried off the field on a stretcher in the 73rd minute. The match, the first between the East Conference opponents this season, ended tied 0-0 before 42,948 fans.
“Very sad, very sad,” Atlanta United manager Gonzalo Pineda said when asked about Guzan’s injury immediately after the match. “That injury doesn’t look good. I’m very sad about it.”
In his post-game news conference, the manager added, “I don’t want to talk about the details of the injury but it doesn’t look good. So that’s why I am sad, it’s not about the result, not about the performance. It’s about Brad’s injury. But I have to wait for whatever comes from the scans and tests that they are going to do. No, it was not a knee injury, it was an Achilles injury.”
Guzan came out to stop a long ball but fell awkwardly, twisted his body in obvious pain and pounded the ground with his fist. Bobby Shuttleworth replace Guzan in goal in his first appearance for Atlanta United.
Guzan, 37, has guarded the goal for the Five Stripes since 2017.
Atlanta United outshot Cincinnati 22-9 while holding the visitors without a shot on goal, but couldn’t find the breakthrough goal.
Atlanta United dictated the pace of the match from the outset and produced its best chance of the first half in the 36th minute when Marcelino Moreno played Brooks Lennon down the right side into the box. Lennon cut the ball back for Thiago Almada, who one-timed a shot aimed at the bottom left corner, but he pulled his attempt just wide of the left post.
Atlanta United earned a penalty in the 60th minute after a run by Caleb Wiley. The 17-year-old dribbled by a pair of defenders and raced a third to the end line before sending a low ball across the goal. Making his first start for Atlanta United, Ronaldo Cisneros poked the ball towards goal, but it struck the outstretched arm of Dominique Badji and was ruled a handball. Moreno took the resulting penalty kick, but Alec Kann was able to deny the Argentine’s attempt to the bottom right corner.
Atlanta United continued to pressure Cincinnati’s goal throughout the second half as it took 17 shots.
“I think we played a good game in attack,” Pineda said. “... But we didn’t score the goals and that’s what matters. That’s why we didn’t win. But I am proud of the effort and the way my players understood the tactics. We had a lot of chances and tried to push for a win.”
Atlanta United’s Luiz Araújo made his return to the field after he suffered a hamstring injury in the season-opening match against Sporting Kansas City on Feb. 27. Emerson Hyndman later entered the match in the 81st minute to mark his return from a torn ACL last season. It was his first appearance since May 29, 2021 against Nashville SC.
Credit: Dakota Williams/Atlanta United
Credit: Dakota Williams/Atlanta United
Cincinnati was forced to play a man down when Nick Hagglund received his second yellow card in the 76th minute after he took Almada down just outside of the penalty area.
Araújo, Almada and Andrew Gutman each put shots on goal in the final 10 minutes of the match, but Cincinnati kept the ball out of the net.
Atlanta United is 2-0-2 at home and 3-2-2 overall. Cincinnati is 2-4-1. The Five Stripes were coming off a 1-0 loss at Charlotte.
Atlanta United returns to action Wednesday when it plays Chattanooga FC at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup. The Five Stripes’ next MLS match is April 24 at 1 p.m. against Miami.
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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
Saturday Atlanta United 0, Cincinnati 0
April 24 at Miami, 1 p.m., ESPN
April 30 at Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 7 vs. Chicago, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 15 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, 4 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, 7:30 p.m.
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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