Atlanta United loses to FC Cincinnati, drops another home game

It wasn’t just gloomy outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Fans who braved the stormy weather caused by Hurricane Isaias rained down boos as Atlanta United picked up another loss, this time to FC Cincinnati 3-1 on Saturday night.

It was Atlanta’s second loss in six games, but it drew four times in that span — leaving valuable points on the table against teams also in playoff contention. It entered the match six points behind No. 10 Cincinnati. Instead, Atlanta added no points and remain at No. 14, while Cincinnati moved into playoff contention.

“Today is the game so far where I would say it was very important [for] playoff implications,” United manager Gerardo Martino said. “An opportunity that we let slip away.”

Cincinnati’s attack is nothing to scoff at, coming in tied for third in goals scored in MLS. However, it gives up a lot of goals, ranking 29th in goals allowed. FC Cincinnati manager Pat Noonan made a change in goal, benching goalkeeper Roman Celentano for Evan Louro, who made his third MLS appearance this season. Louro did well guarding the box with key saves.

The first score came in the second half in transition when United goalkeeper collided with center back Enea Mihaj, leaving Cincinnati striker Kévin Denkey wide open to slam in the shot.

The Five Stripes couldn’t capitalize on one of the league’s worst defenses. The first half ended scoreless despite United’s seven shots, two on goal. United captain Miguel Almirón found the equalizer in the 69th minute off an assist from Breel Embolo, his first since joining the team this past summer. Almirón scored a brace during the international window against Bolivia and nearly got a second after a first-half miss.

“Today something different happened than what’s happened for most of the season, where we weren’t able to convert the chances that we created, where this season it’s been difficult for us to create the scoring chances,” Martino said.

However, that tie was short-lived, as Cincinnati’s other striker, Tom Barlow, easily scored in the 84th minute. Then, to put salt in the wound, Denkey scored again on a breakaway minutes before stoppage time ended.

Martino was adamant postgame that two Cincinnati goals should have been called offside.

“We’re having a bad season, but the calls going against us have also been constant,” Martino said. “I don’t want to bring them up a lot because I don’t want them to be an excuse, but if you start remembering and start adding them up, starting with the penalty that we weren’t given against Columbus, then you start to add up a lot of situations that have gone against us.

“The goal that we scored [on Saturday], they took minutes to review the play when there was absolutely nothing to review, but when it was their second goal, the referee didn’t take the time to review it.”

It was just the second road victory for the team in orange this season. Meanwhile, United has struggled mightily at home, 4-8-2.

“We’ve been a team this year who’s surely been one of the teams with the worst home records,” Martino said. “We haven’t been able to take advantage of the home field advantage, and surely a team with playoff aspirations really has to make it difficult to play at home.”