Late goal lifts Atlanta United to draw with Cincinnati

“I think we should have won the game, we were the better team in 60 minutes,” Deila said. “So I sit there with the same feeling I had the last five, six games, whatever we’ve played, that we show how much quality we have when we’re playing good, but we just lose total shape and concentration and discipline when things are going against us. If you’re going to be a top club, we need to deal with these kind of situations.”

Emmanuel Latte Lath’s team-leading fourth goal gave Atlanta United a 1-0 lead early in the second half. Cincinnati tied the match on a deflected free kick and got its second goal five minutes later following several mistakes by Atlanta United defenders, continuing a theme. Both goals were scored by Evander.

His team facing its second consecutive road loss, Lobjanidze hit a low cross that Alvas Powell stretched to clear at the near post. Instead, he turned the ball into his net. It was Atlanta United’s first point from a road match but the team may have lost starting midfielder Tristan Muyumba to a knee injury. Deila said the medical staff’s initial diagnosis is that Muyumba’s injury isn’t a cruciate tear but he will undergo a scan.

Atlanta United (1-2-2) will host NYCFC on March 29.

The offense, with just three starters and two Designated Players in the starting 11, put four shots on goal. The defense, missing four centerbacks, withstood seven shots on goal from Cincinnati.

Missing eight players who have logged minutes, Deila’s unconventional starting 11 featured Latte Lath at striker, Alexey Miranchuk, Xande Silva, making his first start this season, and Lobjanidze, moving from the left side to the right, in the midfield, with Muyumba and Homegrown Will Reilly, making his first start. Brooks Lennon and Pedro Amador were the fullbacks, with Derrick Williams and Homegrown Matthew Edwards, normally a fullback, as the centerbacks. Brad Guzan started in goal. Among those out were winger Miguel Almiron, midfielder Bartosz Slisz, and centerbacks Stian Gregersen, Noah Cobb, Efrain Morales and Luis Abram.

Cincinnati was also without key striker Kevin Denkey, who was away for national team duty with Togo, and centerbacks Miles Robinson (illness) and Gilberto Flores (red card suspension).

Despite the patchwork back lines, neither team consistently threatened. Atlanta United’s first shot on goal didn’t happen until the 35th minute.

Atlanta United’s lineup took another hit when Muyumba was stretchered off in the 40th minute. He had made a successful lunging tackle, got up to chase the play, and then collapsed on the turf. Trainers came out and looked at his right leg. Cayman Togashi came on as a second striker with Deila switching to a 4-2-2-2. Miranchuk dropped into a deeper midfield role.

Atlanta United finished the half with one shot on goal from nine attempts, to Cincinnati’s three from five. Atlanta United created seven chances and finished with 1.3 expected goals, to Cincinnati’s four and 0.3.

Atlanta United grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute on a goal by Latte Lath. Togashi smartly took a quick throw-in to Lobjanidze, who was sprinting into space behind Cincinnati’s back line. He played a cross back to Latte Lath, whose one-timed left-footer went into the left corner. It was the second assist for Lobjanidze and first for Togashi. The goal was the team’s second in its past 325 minutes.

“It’s all about the reactions, I read the situation, like both defenders were with Cayman, and Cayman also saw that, and he saw me, I was running,” Lobjanidze said.

Deila said he then started to get that familiar feeling that more goals were coming because his team was losing its shape. Reilly, whom Deila described as the best player on the field, said he could feel the team starting to play more passively.

“We invited them on to us and they punished us for that,” Reilly said. “So it’s great that we fought back and got the point. But could definitely be better.”

Cincinnati tied the match at 1 on a deflected free kick by Evander in the 70th minute. He won the free kick from a mistimed tackle by Edwards about 24 yards from goal in the middle of the pitch.

Cincinnati took a 2-1 lead in the 75th minute on Evander’s second goal. The sequence started with an Atlanta United turnover from a throw-in in its defensive third. That turnover was followed by a missed tackle by Hernandez, which allowed Evander an open shot from 12 yards.

Lobjanidze stepped up with the arrowing cross that split the points.

“In the end, we are lucky to get a draw, but when you see the whole game, we should have won it, because we are better team today,” Deila said. “And that is the most frustrating thing for me, that we are showing every game now what kind of level we can be, but we also showing what kind of level we can be on our worst and if we don’t solve that, we will never be a top club.”

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