Atlanta United worked and worked on defending free kicks this week in anticipation of Vancouver’s skill and size. Greg Garza said he lost count of the number of videos the team watched in preparation.
But poor defending on three corner kicks and a notable lack of energy resulted in Atlanta United losing to Vancouver 3-1 on Saturday at BC Place.
An opening goal by Garza, his first for the team, was offset by two goals from Kendall Waston in the first half and another by Fredy Montero in the second half to snap Atlanta United’s two-game winning streak.
“We went through about 15 different videos on how well they are on free kicks,” Garza said. “I don’t know what happened to us. We just couldn’t execute defensively. It’s unfortunate for us to really give up those three goals.”
Atlanta United (5-5-3) was able to clear the ball on the corner kick that led to Vancouver’s first goal, but was unable to do so on the next goals. The Five Stripes have given up three goals on corner kicks this season.
“We weren’t able to control Waston,” manager Gerardo Martino said. “He was the decisive piece for them this game. Aside from that, I thought we controlled the game pretty well and maintained possession, but he was a physical factor that allowed them to win today.”
The team was 2-0-1 in its past three games by showing patience with the ball or punishing its opponent’s mistakes.
Instead, it was Vancouver that took advantage of its chances while Atlanta United couldn’t generate much of anything on offense. Vancouver did an excellent job of marking Miguel Almiron out of the game. The back-to-back MLS Player of the Week couldn’t find any room to influence Atlanta United’s attack.
“Their three holding midfielders were their first line of defense,” Martino said. “I thought we started well and were able to find a goal early, but after that they were able to defend him well. The biggest factor in this game were set pieces.”
Here are five observations about the game:
First goal. It didn't take Atlanta United long to unwind Vancouver's defense. Yamil Asad picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch. He found Julian Gressel on the right. Gressel sized up a pass before the ball arrived and one-timed his cross across the goal between the defenders and the goalkeeper to a sprinting Garza, who one-timed a left-footed shot.
“It’s tough getting a first goal and having everything turned upside down, but it feels good to get a goal with these colors, these stripes, and hopefully get more goals and assists on goals in the future, but ultimately our heads are down with the loss,” Garza said.
Second goal. Vancouver tied the score on a Waston goal in the 31st minute on a pass from Andrew Jacobson that appeared to be more of an attempt to boot away the ball as part of a hard tackle. Still, the pass curled right to the unmarked Waston because most of Atlanta United's defenders were running up the field, which was away from Waston. The sequence started with a Vancouver corner. Michael Parkhurst said the team failed to stay organized on the play and didn't win the second ball.
Third and fourth goals. Waston struck again in the 44th minute, heading in a corner kick. He appeared to outjump both Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and Gressel to head the ball into the opposite corner.
Parkhurst said Atlanta United tried to have a player in a zone marking system and another man-marking, but Waston was too good.
“Waston is a beast in the air,” Parkhurst said.
Vancouver added another on Montero blast from close range on another Vancouver corner kick. The kick came from the right, and Waston headed it across the box to Tim Parker, who headed it toward goal. Goalkeeper Alec Kann kept out that shot, but Montero was there to slam in the rebound in the 68th minute.
They were the third and fourth set-piece goals, not including penalty kicks, allowed by Atlanta United this season. Vancouver had scored on two crosses and three indirect free kicks this season.
“We gave up too many set pieces, too many corners, too many opportunities for them,” Parkhurst said. “It’s a strength for them and a weakness for us.”
Almiron influence. The attacking midfielder, scorer of five goals in the previous two games, often was shadowed by Tony Tchani and/or Matias Laba and Jacobson.
Almiron’s lack of influence was particularly obvious in the second half, when Vancouver often put 10 men behind the ball in defense.
No Martinez. Josef Martinez, who hasn't played since the third game, travelled with the team for the first time, but wasn't chosen by Martino as one of the 18 players eligible for the game. The striker suffered a thigh injury while playing for the Venezuelan national team.
“He wasn’t feeling physically up for it today,” Martino said. “We thought it wasn’t worth the risk to play him.”
