Three goals from Giorgos Giakoumakis and another from Thiago Almada pushed Atlanta United past New England 4-1 on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Giakoumakis and Almada each scored on penalty kicks before Giakoumakis finished with a hammered header and then a volley from his chest from a tight angle, which he said was his favorite among the three. It was Giakoumakis’ first hat trick in MLS and the 10th in franchise history.
“I was talking to the guys and said just feed me, I have a good feeling,” Giakoumakis said.
Goalkeeper Brad Guzan made three saves for Atlanta United (1-1-0) in front of an announced attendance of 67,727. Atlanta United improved to 6-1-1 in home-opening matches. Atlanta United will host Orlando on March 17. Carles Gil scored New England’s goal in the 83rd minute, which aggravated Guzan and manager Gonzalo Pineda.
That was the only negative from a dominant performance by the Five Stripes.
Pineda went with the same lineup used two weeks ago at Columbus. Giakoumakis started at striker with Saba Lobjandize and Xande Sliva on the wings, Almada as the attacking midfielder with Tristan Muyumba and Bartosz Slisz in support, Caleb Wiley and Brooks Lennon as the fullbacks, Stian Gregersen and Derrick Williams as the centerbacks, and Guzan in goal.
After its offense struggled in the first half against the Crew, Atlanta United got off to a more promising start against New England. Lobjandize was the first to threaten when he just missed the far post with a left-footed shot in the third minute.
New England began to dominate possession, punctuated by Giacomi Vrioni’s header thumping off the crossbar and back into play in the eighth minute. The sequence started with a turnover by Atlanta United near midfield.
Pineda said it took his players a bit of time to adjust to the stadium’s new turf. Once they started to feel more confident, Pineda said they were able to pick up the pace of their attacks.
“Once we break a couple lines, we had four or five players running toward the goal,” Pineda said.
Atlanta United regrouped and began to create turnovers and attacks with Almada’s first shot of the match saved by a diving Henrich Ravas in the 20th minute. Almada tried again two minutes later with the shot going wide right. Almada went wide right again in the 27th minute after a clever give-and-go with Giakoumakis to create space in the center of the pitch.
Atlanta United continued to apply pressure and got its goal just before the end of the half. Giakoumakis drew a penalty when he was taken down by Ravas in the 45th minute. It was a broken play, the result of a pass that deflected off a Revs defender. Giakoumakis was the first to reach the ball, just before Ravas got there. Almada buried the penalty in the lower left corner in the second minute of stoppage time. It was Almada’s first goal this season.
“I‘m very happy with the way that the team played tonight; I think we had to after the loss in the first game against Columbus,” Almada said.
Atlanta United finished the first half half with seven shots, three on goal. New England finished with five and one.
It then played the Revs off the field.
“We talked about at halftime going back out, starting the second half properly and making sure we we didn’t think ‘oh we have this this game in our back pocket’ and I thought we did that and when you create the chances that we did, good things happen and and ultimately we believe in those guys to take those chances and finish them,” Guzan said.
Atlanta United added a second when Silva fired a cross that was blocked by the arm of New England’s Nick Lima in the 54th minute. The referee immediately called for a penalty kick. Giakoumakis successfully converted the penalty to give Atlanta United a 2-0 lead in the 56th minute. It was Giakoumakis’ first goal this season. It was the fifth time in franchise history that Atlanta United scored on two penalty kicks and the second time that two different players scored.
Pineda said the team typically has one or two players who are designated to take penalties. He said it didn’t bother him that Giakoumakis took it instead of Almada. He said sometimes the emotions of the game can dictate who takes it. He said he was pleased with Almada’s humbleness.
Giakoumakis added a second goal in the 60th minute when he headed in a Lennon cross. The sequence started deep in Atlanta United’s end when it successfully broke New England’s pressure to create a 6-on-4 attack. Silva passed to Lennon, whose cross went to the back post for Giakoumakis to hammer into the upper left corner with enough force it may have created a foundation for the next midrise in The Gulch. He said it was similar to some of his 17 goals scored last year. It was the first assists this season for Silva and Lennon.
Pineda said Lennon’s cross to the back post was something that was noticed during film study of New England.
“It was exactly what we saw could have happened,” Pineda said. “And it happened, not just to build up but with the final third movement. I think it was pretty good, actually especially happy about that.”
Tyler Wolff came on for Silva in the 70th minute.
Giakoumakis finished the scoring in the 74th minute with a left-footed volley from six yards away on the left-hand side of the goal. He took the ball off his chest and then powered it into the upper right corner.
Gil’s goal came when Atlanta United’s players lost their concentration on a corner kick, which is why Pineda and Guzan were upset.
“I really love clean sheets,” Pineda said. “It could have been a great reward for backline, midfielders that did a great job.”
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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule
Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0
March 9 Atlanta United 2, New England 1
March 17 vs. Orlando, 7 p.m., FS1
March 23 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
March 31 vs. Chicago, 3:30 p.m., FOX
April 6 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
April 14 vs. Philadelphia, 2:30 p.m., FOX
April 20 vs. Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
April 27 at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
May 4 vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
May 11 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
May 15 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
May 18 at Nashville, 1:30 p.m.
May 25 vs. LAFC, 7:30 p.m.
May 29 at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
June 2 vs Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., FOX
June 15 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m.
June 19 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 22 at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m.
June 29 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
July 3 at New England, 7:30 p.m.
July 6 at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m.
July 13 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 17 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
July 20 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 31 at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 vs. Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Orlando, 6 p.m.
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