When Atlanta United returned to its locker room after Sunday's 2-1 loss at Seattle, the floor was covered in water.
A pipe had sprung a leak.
Talk about a metaphor for the second half of Atlanta United’s season.
In its past five games, Frank de Boer’s squad has one win and has allowed 14 goals. Most of the goals, including Sunday’s winner, have been the result of self-inflicted mistakes.
“It’s not bad luck; it’s not karma,” Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. “You make your own luck. We need to find a way to come out of this, however you want to call it, we need to find a way. It’s not just one-off games.”
The first goal on Sunday started when Julian Gressel lost the ball to Cristian Roldan about 25 yards from goal in the center of the pitch. Roldan chipped the ball to Raul Ruidiaz, who ran past a poor tackle by Franco Escobar, who may have been afraid to give away a penalty kick, before audaciously chipping Miles Robinson, running around him and hitting the volley past Guzan from 6 yards.
Ruidiaz’s skill can’t be denied. The turnover and missed tackle can’t.
The second goal happened when Leandro Gonzalez Pirez hit a pass right at Seattle’s Jordan Morris. Nicolas Lodeiro jumped on the loose ball and passed it back to Morris, who hit a cross to an unmarked Harry Shipp at the back post for an easy header.
“I made a bad pass,” Gopnzalez Pirez said. “I made a mistake and it cost us a goal.”
Those weren’t the only two mistakes. Guzan began to catalog Seattle’s missed chances before once again saying it’s on the team to improve.
And it’s not just the defense, though its errors are magnified because they typically result in goals.
The offense missed several chances in the first half and one late in the game that could have resulted in a point.
Though Guzan said it’s not karma, it does seem that the odds are evening out because time after time the past two seasons, opponents who had been defeated by Atlanta United would be quoted as saying something similar to “we had our chances. They capitalized. We didn’t.”
Now they are and Atlanta United isn’t.
“We try always to do our best,” Gonzalez Pirez said. “Sometimes we are playing a lot of games in a row. Maybe we are tired. Maybe this can be one thing. But it’s not an excuse. We need to get better at doing 90 minutes, avoid mistakes for the next game.”
The team used one of the four charter segments allowed each season by MLS to fly back to Atlanta Sunday night.
Monday will be rest and recovery and trying to figure out how to play without fullbacks Franco Escobar, Brek Shea, Mikey Ambrose and George Bello.
Tuesday will be working on the plan to deal with Houston, which will play Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“We have to look at this and figure out why this is happening.” Guzan said. “Every day is a chance to get better and try to figure out why and how we get better.”
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