Atlanta United eliminated from playoff possibility with 5-4 loss to Columbus
It was exciting but Atlanta United gave up the most goals at home in franchise history to seal what was evident weeks ago: its season is mostly done, put down with a 5-4 loss to Columbus at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. Atlanta United had never given up even four goals at home.
Atlanta United tried to rally, scoring four goals after giving up five, including two by Jamal Thiare, the last coming in the 88th minute. An Enea Mihaj header rolled past the far post in the eighth and final minute of stoppage time. It was valiant but as has been the case most of the season, it was too little, too late in front of an announced attendance of 41,089.
“That’s the strangest game I’ve seen in my life,” Atlanta United manager Ronny Deila said.
The Five Stripes have five matches remaining, but the loss eliminated them from playoff contention. It’s the earliest Atlanta United has been knocked out of postseason contention in a 34-match season.
The defeat was Atlanta United’s 13th this season, including its fifth at home. It surrendered five goals in the first half, and could have given up two more, when it needed to win to keep alive its faint playoff hopes.
“I’ve never experienced in my life, then you have to show who you are,” Deila said. “And I think they did that in a really good way.”
The team was playing well before Saturday. Atlanta United was 2-1-2 in its past five, including consecutive shutouts. But the Crew had no trouble dribbling or passing through Atlanta United’s midfield and back line. Atlanta United hadn’t given up five goals in a half since July 2019, when it gave up that many at Chicago.
Deila’s lineup didn’t include Alexey Miranchuk, his most effective player, because of a bone bruise the attacking midfielder suffered while with Russia. The lineup was composed of Thiare, attacking midfielder Miguel Almirón, who moved from wing into Miranchuk’s role, wingers Saba Lobjanidze and Luke Brennan, central midfielders Tristan Muyumba, in for Bartosz Slisz who couldn’t play because of yellow card accumulation, and Steven Alzate, fullbacks Pedro Amador and Ronald Hernandez, central defenders Mihaj and Stian Gregersen, and goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert, making his third consecutive start.
Atlanta United fell behind 1-0 in the 14th minute on a goal by Diego Rossi. A poor pass by Muyumba led to a poor back pass by Mihaj, which forced Hibbert to come out of his goal to stop a one-on-one with Wessam Abou Ali, which he did. But the deflected shot went to Rossi, who calmly passed the ball into the net from 18 yards.
The goal stopped Hibbert’s scoreless streak at 235 minutes and Atlanta United’s at 212.
Columbus increased its lead to 2-0 two minutes later on another goal by Rossi, who tapped in a cross from Daniel Gazdag at the back post.
Frankly, it could have been 4-0 at that point. Columbus had already had one goal and another penalty kick claim denied because of close offsides calls in the preceding minutes.
Columbus increased its lead to 3-0 in the 25th minute on a goal by Abou Ali, who was mostly unmarked by Gregersen in the center of the 18-yard box to one-time a cross from the left. After the goal, Hibbert could be seen asking, “What the (blank?)”
It didn’t get better.
Right back Andres Herrera got behind Atlanta United’s defense to hit a left-footed shot into the far corner in the 30th minute.
Columbus made it 5-0 in the 39th minute on another goal by Rossi, who got in front of Hernandez to one-time a cross from 6 yards. Boos cascaded around the stadium after the goal.
“I don’t know exactly like that in the first half, I did have a tough game in college against Syracuse,” Hibbert said. “So I’ve been on that roller coaster before. Emotionally, it’s very tough, I mean, but look at the second half. You got to take something positive away from a game like this. That’s an incredible reaction from the whole team.”
Thiare won a penalty kick just before halftime. Almirón converted to make it 5-1. It was his fourth goal.
At halftime, before the players went to the locker room, Almiron and Hernandez called an impromptu team meeting at midfield.
The message, according to Hibbert, was “everyone is better, right? It’s a team game at the end of the day. It comes together from individual performances.”
Because Atlanta United couldn’t deal with Columbus up the middle or its crosses from the wings, Deila said he changed formation. He switched to three central defenders to start the second half, subbing on Juan Berrocal, Will Reilly and Brooks Lennon for Lobjanidze, Brennan and Hernandez.
Atlanta United needed less than a minute to cut its deficit to 5-2 on a headed goal by Amador from Lennon. As soon as he scored, Amador turned and started running back up the field, waving toward his teammates to join him to get the match restarted. It was Amador’s first goal and Lennon’s third assist. Almirón was given a secondary assist, his seventh.
Thiare made it 5-3 in the 50th minute when he rounded goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and hit a left-footed shot from close range. It was his fourth goal. Mihaj was credited with the assist, his first.
The eight goals were the most scored in an Atlanta United match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The boos turned to the familiar call-and-response cheer of “Atlanta,” followed by “United,” in the 53rd minute.
Miranchuk replaced Muyumba in the 72nd minute. Cooper Sanchez made his team debut by subbing on for Reilly, who suffered an injury, in the 74th minute.
Miranchuk put a shot right at Schulte in the 78th minute. Another Miranchuk shot was blocked in the 88th minute.
Thiare’s second goal was a header in the 88th minute. It was assisted by Gregersen, his first, and Alzate, his second.
Statistically, the game was as weird as the score line. Atlanta United finished with 17 shots, putting seven on goal. Columbus put all seven of its shots on goal. Atlanta United had 12 crosses to Columbus’ two, both of which resulted in goals. Atlanta United finished 3.8 expected goals to Columbus’ 1.7. As Deila said, the Crew scored on every attack.
“It’s a game to forget,” Mihaj said. “Of course, we have to see what we did wrong. We did some good stuff. But for me, I cannot say we can keep the positive things in this kind of game. We received five goals.”
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