If Atlanta United goes on to compete for the MLS Cup, the season’s only remaining trophy, it may look back at Sept. 5 as the turning point.
Minutes from losing to Orlando City for the second time in eight days, being shut out for the fifth time in seven games, played off the pitch for long stretches, Jake Mulraney floated a cross into the penalty box. Adam Jahn got across his defender, jumped and headed it down and into the goal to secure a 1-1 draw.
If Atlanta United can put together a streak, that one point will be worth so much more than just a point. Atlanta United will finish this block against the league’s two expansion teams, at Miami on Wednesday and at Nashville on Saturday.
“I think without getting too deep into it that 2020 has been a year with a lot of adversity,” co-captain Jeff Larentowicz said. “We’ve had a lot of stop-start. We’ve obviously had a coaching change. Now a player like Pity Martinez no longer in our team. We lost Josef (Martinez) at the beginning of the year. I feel like we’ve taken a lot of punches this year and it’s been tough. But I think we are learning about each other. I think we have shown that we are willing to fight for each other. I think we’ve had to re-group amidst all this adversity and we’ve done a pretty good job. I think we can absolutely get better and I think that there is still a level of belief that we need to get to but I think we can continue to build on it and tonight is a good step.”
Part of the puzzle that interim manager Stephen Glass must figure out to help his team take advantage of these few minutes of positive momentum is how to get his team to start playing like it finished. He said that was his simple statement to the team after the game.
“I think you will see a better Atlanta United when that happens,” Glass said. “That’s a pretty straight forward message for the group.”
Orlando ran through Atlanta United time after time in the first half. It was similar to what it did eight days ago, which caused Larentowicz to say that you’d think the team would learn. But, unlike eight days ago when it gave up two goals in the first half, this time Atlanta United only surrendered one. That was mostly because of the heroics of Atlanta United’s back four of Franco Escobar, Miles Robinson, Anton Walkes and George Bello. The group made nine tackles in the first half alone. Quite a few were to prevent one-on-ones with goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
Orlando kept running toward its supporters’ section of Exploria because Atlanta United couldn’t string anything together on offense. Much like in each of its games since the tournament in Orlando, it lacked energy and ideas.
The team made adjustments at halftime. Glass said because he and the team are still learning each other, it’s difficult to make adjustments within the flow of the game but things are improving.
“Again tonight, second half and second half against Orlando in first game we were better,” Glass said. “We’ve been able to get clear messages into players on how to fix things, and then the play has looked a lot better. If that starts becoming more of an understanding from the players, and what we coaches what, then the results will come. It’s not an excuse. It will come, but hopefully it will come quicker and for longer.”
Glass played an important part in the team finding intensity. His substitutions, Jahn, Mulraney, Jurgen Damm, Matheus Rossetto and Jon Gallagher, helped the team gain control in the second half. The ball moved faster. There was width and speed on the wings.
“If you’re in a little bit of a rut, it’s hard to kind of fight out of it,” Jahn said. “I think we lost the best player in the league. And I think it makes so many differences — you realize it at first and then it permeates. It’s so hard to lose Josef and then Pity just left as well. So there’s a lot of turmoil going on. I’m not using those as excuses, we have to find a way to fight out of that and just keep the belief like Glassy has been telling us — and to be courageous. Because that’s the only way we’re going to fight out of it. No one is going to give it to us, no one is going to do it for us. It’s on us. I hope tonight is a big step forward in that.”
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