AUSTIN, Texas — Atlanta United manager Ronny Deila and players Jamal Thiaré and Matthew Edwards say the late point earned in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at Austin could lift the team out of its seven-match winless streak.
The draw was earned when Miguel Almirón, Saba Lobjanidze and Thiaré combined for Thiaré’s first goal in the second minute of stoppage time.
“I think we needed this,” Edwards said. “We needed to show that we could see a game out after we scored that first goal. Now we need to go in the next game with a clean sheet. I think that’s the first thing for us as a back line, as a team.”
The late-earned result could be considered a learned lesson, because the team was in the same situation last weekend at Chicago. Atlanta United trailed 1-0. It benefited from an own goal to tie the match deep in the second half. It then gave up a late goal, one of several chances Chicago generated in the final minutes.
The players and coaching staff had a long meeting after that match.
“I think the difference is mentality,” Thiaré said. “We had to do better. We knew before the game, everybody is going to do something better to help the team. Tonight, we knew exactly what we need — to score, to give everybody energy. When the coach called the player, they came in to give something better for the team.”
Atlanta United will host Philadelphia on Saturday.
Here are a few other things learned:
Formation. Deila went with a back five for the second consecutive match because he said the team couldn’t keep surrendering two or three goals a game in the back four they were using.
Austin’s only goal came from a free kick by Brandon Vazquez in the 55th minute. Austin took 16 shots, putting six on goal. Atlanta United finished with eight shots, five on goal, but had more expected goals, 1.6-1.2, than Austin.
The team switched to a back four to get another midfielder involved late against Austin as it searched for a tying goal. That switch was also made at Chicago.
“We can play both formations, and that’s very good,” Deila said. “If you can build on this that’s important. Away getting one point is good, and now we have to come home and looking forward to play in front of our fantastic fans and put on a good performance. That’s what we have to do, and then we will see if we can get the three points.
Moving up the line. One problem with the formation that resulted in Atlanta United losing control of the match from around the 30th minute until the 75th minute is the back line of three centerbacks and two wingbacks played too low, Deila said.
He said the line must push higher to better deal with opponents’ passes over the top, through balls and target strikers.
“We have to be higher,” Deila said. “The midfield will be killed if you don’t push the line higher. When the ball is near their box, we have to be at the halfway line. There were many times when we dropped too low, and knowing that they have a good striker, we have to be a little closer to him. Of course, also when we don’t keep the ball, you get lower and lower.”
After the 75th minute, when there was a hydration break, the line pushed up against Austin. That, combined with the energy that Jay Fortune, Tristan Muyumba, Thiaré and Lobjanidze provided penned Austin into its own half.
“I knew when we go higher for defending, we caused them big problems,” Thiaré said. “In the first half, they played easily on both sides. The coach told us … when we win the ball, then we can attack. That’s what happened tonight in the second half.”
Fortune. Deila raved about Ajani Fortune and Almiron after the match. Fortune played the final 34 minutes. He put one shot on target but consistently ran at Austin defenders.
“He did everything asked for,” Deila said. “He is strong. He takes people on. He wins challenges. He has legs. This is our future. That’s how we need to have many of the others; many of the others have to have that boldness. We need to have more. That’s because that’s the only way to be champions. That is our goal.”
Almiron created the one chance that resulted in the tying goal and put both of his shots on target.
The heat. Edwards said he‘s never before played in temperatures such as Wednesday’s. The temperature, combined with the humidity, made it feel like 98 degrees at kickoff at 8 p.m. CST.
“You could feel it around the first water break; you could start to see it in the group,” he said.
Edwards said he thinks the team found another gear after the first group of subs came on in the 57th minute.
“We all started going for the game again,” he said. “We could have come out of that game with three points, so I think that’s something we need to look for with the whole group.”
Deila said he didn’t know if the heat affected the players.
“Many teams before have come and had problems with the heat, but I think we were the strongest team in the last 20 minutes, and that’s positive,” he said.
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Atlanta United‘s 2025 schedule
Feb. 22 Atlanta United 3, Montreal 2
March 1 Charlotte 2, Atlanta United 0
March 8 Atlanta United 0, New York Red Bulls 0
March 16 Miami 2, Atlanta United 1
March 22 Atlanta United 2, Cincinnati 2
March 29 Atlanta United 4, NYCFC 3
April 5 Atlanta United 1, Dallas 1
April 12 New England 1, Atlanta United 0
April 19 Philadelphia 3, Atlanta United 0
April 26 Orlando 3, Atlanta United 0
May 3 Atlanta United 1, Nashville 1
May 10 Chicago 2, Atlanta United 1
May 14 Atlanta United 1, Austin 1
May 17 vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 25 vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m., Apple
May 28 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 31 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 12 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 25 at Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 28 at Miami, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 5 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 12 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 16 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m., Apple, FS1
July 19 vs. Charlotte, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 26 vs. Seattle, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 30 vs. Necaxa, Leagues Cup
Aug. 2. vs. Pumas in Orlando, Leagues Cup
Aug. 6 vs. Atlas, Leagues Cup
Aug. 9 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 16 at Colorado, 9:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 24 vs. Toronto, 5 p.m., Apple
Aug. 30 at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Apple
Sept. 13 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 20 vs. San Diego, 4:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 27 at New England, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 5 at LAFC, 10:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 18 vs. D.C. United, 6 p.m., Apple
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