Atlanta United sends Brad Guzan out with a draw
Atlanta United failed to send goalkeeper Brad Guzan out with a win in his final match, instead settling for a 1-1 draw with D.C. United on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Guzan, making his 616th appearance as a professional, including his 262nd for Atlanta United, announced earlier in the week that he was retiring after Saturday’s season finale.
Atlanta United had one goal going into the match: win for Guzan, which would also ensure the club didn’t finish as the worst in MLS this season.
Though Atlanta United (5-16-13) didn’t get just its second league victory since Memorial Day, the draw was enough for it to finish with 28 points, leaving D.C. United to finish at the bottom of the 30-team standings.
“Sums up our season,” Guzan said. “It’s been a long year, not good enough in any way, shape or form.”
The match’s announced attendance was 44,098, some of whom wore bald caps and Guzan jerseys as an homage, to see the team finish with an average announced attendance of 43,991 or league matches this season.
Guzan, wearing a reddish-pink kit, was honored on the field before the match by team owner Arthur Blank. Guzan, wearing the captain’s armband, received a framed green jersey with “Thank You Brad” in black lettering above a black number 1.
“I‘m so thankful and grateful to be in this position to have had the experiences that I’ve had,” Guzan said. “In my eyes, I’m just a lucky kid from the suburbs of Chicago that was able to live his dream, and my kids’ eyes, I’m dad, in my wife’s eyes, I’m her husband, and I hope her best friend. And she’s mine.
“The last couple days to see the videos that the club put out, the emotions, to see the messages of love and support, I can never repay that. To our supporters, to our fans, to football fans in general, just near and far, the amount of love that I’ve received in the last handful of days has been tremendous.”
Manager Ronny Deila’s lineup was highlighted by Guzan, and included Enea Mihaj, Juan Berrocal, Pedro Amador, Ronald Hernandez, Bartosz Slisz, Steven Alzate, Alexey Miranchuk, Luke Brennan, Miguel Almirón and Emmanuel Latte Lath.
Almirón gave Atlanta United a 1-0 lead in the 3rd minute with a half-volley from 18 yards away into the lower right corner. It was his sixth goal and just the 10th time this season Atlanta United scored first.
Guzan’s first save was a shot right into his chest from Jared Stroud in the 10th minute.
A second Almirón goal was disallowed because he was flagged for being offsides in the 18th minute.
Slisz hustled back in the 26th minute to deny a one-on-one with a sliding block that resulted in Guzan congratulating him.
The luck that has eluded Atlanta United most of the season came through for Guzan in the 27th minute when he pushed a shot onto the post. Instead of the ball going into the goal, it bounced out and was cleared by a teammate.
D.C. United tied the match at 1 in the 67th minute when Gabriel Pirani tucked a shot across the 18-yard box and into the lower right corner. Guzan stopped Christian Benteke’s first shot with his foot. Mihaj blocked the next with his body. But the third was perfectly placed.
Atlanta United pushed for the winning goal.
Saba Lobjanidze, a second-half sub, was twice denied by D.C. United goalkeeper Jordan Farr late in the match. Farr dove to his right to stop a low free kick, then cleared a shot off the line on the ensuing corner kick around the 82nd minute.
Farr saved a header by Jamal Thiare, another sub, in the 85th minute.
Deila said he hopes to return as manager, but he doesn’t yet know. He said he has no meetings yet scheduled with President Garth Lagerwey or Sporting Director Chris Henderson.
“I’ve taken a lot of punches this year, been really, really tough, but I’m very ready to give some punches back again because that’s how it is to be in the ring,” Deila said. “That is about life. You can sit outside and watch it. I don’t like to do that. I want to be in there. And I always gotten stronger after this kind of thing. So, the future will be seen.”
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