A look back at Atlanta United’s 3-1 Loss To DC United in 10 thoughts or less: Some good, some not so much…
Here’s something we’re starting for some give and take during the week. Now we are going to take a look at the week that was with Atlanta United’s loss to DC United and trying to think about what to look forward to in the upcoming match with NYCFC at Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon.
In a normal week, it will be ten items or less but there might be weeks where this column turns into THAT person- coming into the Express Lane with more than 10 items and holding up everyone else that wants to leave since they’re only buying lunch, dinner, or toilet paper.
So here are 10 takeaways from last week in the world of Atlanta United:
The hot start Atlanta United had in the first 20 minutes was, probably, the hottest of the hot starts the team has had this season. Momentum (and carrying this mindset out for the full 90 minutes) will be key going forward… Kinda like this guy, thanks to Baseball History Shorts
DC United’s keeper Bill Hamid is, in fact, and without dispute, all-worldly. Had the two Tito Villalba thrusts not been parried back into play in that first rush, the game would have been 2-0, or possibly, 3-0 to Atlanta United. The match, at that point, would have been over. Over… indisputably over…
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Guys like Jeff Larentowicz and Jacob Peterson were missed because of injury- actually, the word should probably be “MISSED” because of injury. Larentowicz is still going through concussion protocol. And Josef Martinez can’t return fast enough for fan’s liking;.
Julian Gressel and #GresselMania need to adjust the script a little bit. Think of him this way: A minor league pitcher gets called up from triple-a and, for his major league debut, goes six scoreless and doesn’t give up a run. The first time through the league, the other teams don’t have a book on him. Now, they do. Same goes for rookies like Gressel. His physical style is right there, but the second DC United goal was an example of where he needs to learn going forward.
The DC United defense gets major props for handcuffing the Atlanta offense- which looked like it was trying to create instead of being item 1 on this week’s grocery list. Miguel Almiron was, often times, double-teamed as he wanted to try and create some offense in the box. DCU’s defense was having none of it.
The overlap by Greg Garza worked well as he teamed with Yamil Asad and Kenwyne Jones in the first ten minutes and Villalba twice after. This has worked well regardless of the height in the box (or lack of it) and is something to keep an eye on as a staple of Tata Martino’s offense.
Sidenote: Keep an eye on the Disciplinary Committee this week as Asad might get looked at for a stray elbow allegedly thrown. His history might lead to another raised eyebrow from the league office.
Props to Atlanta United and their fans: The franchise now has the MLS record for most fans in their first three home matches- outdrawing LA Galaxy from 1996 (147,230 to 130,073)
The short pitch should be interesting at Yankee Stadium- generously listed at 67 yards wide. How will the speed of Atlanta work in an even smaller space than on other pitches…? Guess is Atlanta fans hope Yankee Stadium doesn’t turn into one of these, thanks to DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures
Which leads us to Number 10… the season is only at the quarter-pole and it’s how the team adjusts to how the league has adjusted to them. When the team is at full song, United can be very dangerous in a very crowded Eastern Conference…
Patience… It’s early… No need to be housed in the fortress mentioned above…
Next: Was this Atlanta United’s wake-up call in Major League Soccer?
What do you think of the ten takeaways? What should Atlanta fans look forward to this season? Let us know in the comments below.