For 45 minutes Wednesday night, Atlanta United gave itself a chance to defeat Philadelphia and give itself a potentially season-saving moment, a rallying point for the final six games.
Instead, in stoppage time at the end of the first half, it did what it has done so many times this season: give up a soft goal. It wasn’t even the first in the game. Philadelphia’s first goal wasn’t a golazo. But the Five Stripes (8-11-9) rallied to tie the score on Andrew Gutman’s header. But after the second goal, which came in the third minute of added time, Atlanta United wasn’t the same. It gave up two more soft goals to easily capitulate, 4-1.
Manager Gonzalo Pineda spent most of his postgame news conference complaining about the officiating. But his team gave up four goals, including its 12th this season on a set piece. That one, which was scored by Mikael Uhre, gave the Union a 2-1 lead at halftime.
Somehow, despite the poor result, the team didn’t lose any ground in its pursuit of a playoff spot. It is three points from the seventh and final playoff spot in the East.
“We didn’t deserve to be losing at halftime, and after that, probably the second half wasn’t great, but I felt that the first half, we should have been winning and that didn’t happen,” Pineda said as part of his complaint about referee Lukasz Szpala. “Then, the beginning of the second half wasn’t as expected, we concede a goal that was a soft goal, and then the third one the same, the fourth. So that’s what happened (Wednesday) night.”
It can be argued that goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo was at fault for the first and third goals. Pineda hinted that Raúl Gudino, signed as a free agent after the season-ending injuries to Brad Guzan and Dylan Castanheira, may get a chance Sunday at Portland. Gudino, who has played for Club America and the Mexican national team, has yet to make an appearance.
“Raúl is training good and well; we’ll see what happens,” Pineda said.
After the game, the players tried to explain why the team keeps giving up soft goals.
The first, scored by Julian Carranza in the 18th minute, was a shot from 20 yards. It wasn’t hit hard but was precise.
The second, scored by Uhre, came on a corner kick. Uhre was unmarked at the back post. His shot took a deflection off Santiago Sosa.
“In various games we’ve been having various errors on set pieces, plays in the air,” centerback Alan Franco said. “The truth is we’ve been working a lot to solve that area, but I think sooner or later we’re going to solve it.”
The third, scored by Daniel Gazdag in the 67th minute, came when Rios Novo came out to claim a cross. Instead of grabbing the ball, Rios Novo slammed into teammate Brooks Lennon and another Union player. The ball bounced to Gazdag, who had an empty goal.
The fourth, scored by Nathan Harriel in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, came after more poor defending by Atlanta United.
“I can only kind of speak for what I do in the games, I’m not in the other guys’ head,” Gutman said. “For me, my mentality as a defender is like, I would rather almost get knocked out by the ball than see the ball in the back of the net. That’s the mentality we have to have. I’m not saying that we don’t have that mentality, but I think, like I said, we’re getting a little bit unfortunate with how the balls have been dropping and the deflections and stuff. But, at the same time, I just feel like we also have to create our own luck.”
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
Southern Fried Soccer podcast can be found
Apple - https://apple.co/3ISD6Ve
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3L8TN0C
Google podcasts - https://bit.ly/32KlZW3
If you are listening to us for the first time, please follow us on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast ... and if you like what you hear, please give us a good rating so we can grow the show. If you have questions about the MLS team, you can email Doug Roberson at droberson@ajc.com, DM him on Twitter @dougrobersonajc or call 770-810-5297.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a special offer for Atlanta United supporters and listeners to this podcast. If you subscribe today, you will not only get unlimited digital access to the AJC and the Sunday paper for $2.30 a week but we are also throwing in a special limited-edition Atlanta United and Atlanta Journal-Constitution scarf. So sign up now at subscribe.ajc.com/utdscarf.
Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule
Feb. 27 Atlanta United 3, Sporting KC 1
March 5 Colorado 3, Atlanta United 0
March 13 Atlanta United 2, Charlotte 1
March 19 Atlanta United 3, Montreal 3
April 2 Atlanta United 1, D.C. United 0
April 10 Charlotte 1, Atlanta United 0
April 16 Atlanta United 0, Cincinnati 0
April 24 Miami 2, Atlanta United 1
April 30 Montreal 2, Atlanta United 1
May 7 Atlanta United 4, Chicago 1
May 15 Atlanta United 2, New England 2
May 21 Atlanta United 2, Nashville 2
May 28 Columbus 2, Atlanta United 1
June 19 Atlanta United 2, Miami 0
June 25 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 1
June 30 New York Red Bulls 2, Atlanta United 1
July 3 Atlanta United 2, NYCFC 2
July 9 Austin 3, Atlanta United 0
July 13 Atlanta United 2, Real Salt Lake 1
July 17 Atlanta United 1, Orlando 1
July 24 L.A. Galaxy 2, Atlanta United 0
July 30 Atlanta United 0, Chicago 0
Aug. 6 Atlanta United 2, Seattle 1
Aug. 13 Atlanta United 2, Cincinnati 2
Aug. 17 New York Red Bulls 2, Atlanta United 1
Aug. 21 Atlanta United 2, Columbus 2
Aug. 28 Atlanta United 3, D.C. United 2
Aug. 31 Philadelphia 4, Atlanta United 1
Sept. 4 at Portland, 5:30 p.m., FOX
Sept. 10 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 14 at Orlando, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 17 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 1 at New England, 1 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 9 vs. NYCFC, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
About the Author
