Atlanta United draw with Red Bulls may be a good thing for the team

Atlanta United may not have won the MLS Cup in 2018 if it hadn’t been destroyed by Toronto 4-1 in its final regular-season game with the Supporters’ Shield on the line.

It’s been acknowledged and referenced by players several times, including by goalkeeper Brad Guzan after Wednesday’s 0-0 draw at the Red Bulls. That result in Harrison, N.J., practically secured the team a spot in the MLS playoffs.

It was an ugly performance in a stadium in which the team still has to score in five seasons against an opponent that it has yet to defeat in a regular-season game.

But that’s the point.

Grinding out a result to advance in the playoffs is what then-manager Gerardo Martino realized after that loss to Toronto in 2018. It’s what Atlanta United showed it can do Wednesday against the Red Bulls as the playoffs and possibly playing all of its games on the road looms.

“If you look at that run, we didn’t play the best soccer, we didn’t have 400 passes before we scored goals,” he said. “We realized that we are going to have to fight. Playoff games are close games, whether it’s 1-0 or 2-1. They aren’t 4-0 or 6-0 games. That’s not how playoffs work in this league. We knew tonight was going to be a playoff type of game, and we were going to need to show different aspects of our game. Really proud of the guys tonight.”

There will be another important test with playoff implications Sunday against Cincinnati in the team’s regular-season finale. The team needs to win to keep alive its chances of hosting a playoff game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Cincinnati is the league’s worst team. It is guaranteed to finish with the fewest points in the league for the third consecutive year. It is 1-10-5 at home. Other than pride, it has nothing to play for.

Though manager Gonzalo Pineda and the players likely will say at their next media availability Saturday that every MLS game is tough, Atlanta United has a chance Sunday to get its offense back on track after a franchise-worst showing against the Red Bulls:

One shot on goal tied for its lowest mark (seventh time its happened).
One chance created was its fewest amount in an MLS match.
Two total shots were its fewest in an MLS match.

Cincinnati has allowed a league-worst 72 goals, nine more than the team that has leaked the second most. If Atlanta United can’t do what it needs to do against a team that already has an awful defense and has nothing to play for, the playoffs may be a one-and-done situation.

But, of course, the team has shown that it can rope-a-dope a way to a result.

That was important because in two of its previous games, when it appeared on the verge of showing it can complete a game with a win, it leaked a result by allowing a goal in the final minutes of games to turn wins into draws and to put itself into Sunday’s situation.

The defense held on against the Red Bulls, allowing only one good scoring opportunity in a hectic 90 minutes in which it was under siege for most of the game.

“I feel like the mentality, the toughness, the winning duels, absorbing a lot of pressure and not conceding a goal is a big positive for the mentality of the team,” Pineda said Wednesday. “That’s how you have to fight to get results in the end of the day. Obviously, the football needs to improve. But the mentality I liked tonight.”

For more content about Atlanta United

Follow me on Twitter @DougRobersonAJC

On Facebook at Atlanta United News Now

On Instagram at DouglasDavidRoberson

Atlanta United coverage on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta United’s 2021 MLS schedule

April 17 Atlanta United 0, Orlando 0

April 24 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 1

May 1 New England 2, Atlanta United 1

May 9 Atlanta United 1, Inter Miami 1

May 15 Atlanta United 1, Montreal 0

May 23 Atlanta United 1, Seattle 1