Atlanta United Express Lane: The Houston Win In 10 Items Or Less

A hat trick and 45,000 anthem singers helped Atlanta United get their first home win in a long time. Now what?

So, Atlanta United fans, that was different. The match against the Houston Dynamo was one of those moments in time where everything came together. Let’s take a look back and figure out how to go forward from here.

The “togetherness” started before the match…

When the monsoon that roared through town pushed the match start back almost an hour, something was bound to have a wrench thrown into a part of the operations…

Turned out it was the wireless mic being held for the National Anthem but, credit to the 45,000 that stuck around THROUGH said monsoon and pulled this off without a hitch.

Much like the Timbers Army, the Woosnam End (That’s what I’ll call it until it actually happens, otherwise, known as the North Endzone) capos took the crowd through the anthem and it worked.

Keep that, Atlanta United. You found your Anthem singer.

MLS focused on the wrong goal for Goal of The Week consideration…

The league chose the first one, which while a laser, does not match the second. A dribble into traffic, a pop-up, the #MiggyHop, and another laser falling down on his keester.

A. Thing. Of. Beauty.

Enjoy Almiron while you can, Atlanta United fans. He’s a comet that everyone has to attach to for the three years or so that he is in the “A.”

(Ed. note, Almiron was also voted MLS Player of The Week)

The move of Julian Gressel out wide is working…  

The one Atlanta United goal that wasn’t Almiron’s went to Rookie of the Year candidate Julian Gressel. Tito Villalba’s efforts in traffic should not be overlooked in the set-up.

So, the question remains:

WHATCHA GONNA DO WHEN #GRESSELMANIA RUNS WILD ON YOU?!

Actually, it’s doing a pretty good job on its own so far.

There are even t-shirts…

Now, if only Gressel would tear a kit or a t-shirt in training all in good fun.

Tata Martino has a good first touch… still…

Houston goalie Joe Willis wasn’t happy about having to send the ball out-of-bounds for an injury stoppage, so with the ball aimed directly at the Atlanta United bench, this happened…

That means Martino is out for the home match against NYCFC from the sideline, but I’m fairly certain that some line of communication will be kept open for messaging on game day.

Microphone in a jacket cuff, perhaps?

The ejection was pretty harsh for a gut reaction.

Andrew Carleton’s debut was a “home town-proud moment” if ever there was one…

First, and foremost, a lot of you have hats and tee shirts that are older than Andrew Carleton.

At 16 years old. I will say that again,16 YEARS OLD!!!

Carleton is making international appearances for the United States and is already making a name for himself wearing the Stars and Stripes.

He made a name for himself in his pro debut late in the Dynamo match as Almiron got is curtain call…

https://twitter.com/AcademyATLUTD/status/866118413768417282

Had Carleton scored on his breakaway in added time, the ongoing renovations at Bobby Dodd Stadium would not have been necessary. But the poise Carleton has shown on the international stage is carrying over to MLS…

 Now what…?

NYCFC comes to town after thumping Orlando City over the weekend…

The pitch at Bobby Dodd is wider than Yankee Studium, frankly all MLS stadia are wider than their Under-12 pitch. That’s their home-pitch advantage and they revel in it.

Atlanta United should be in a setting more suited for them than the visitors. Can they keep the momentum going with this line-up or will they be frustrated by David Villa all over again?

That’s the question going forward, and, if you’re interested in going, get your tickets quickly. There aren’t a whole lot of them left as Atlanta United chases a fifth-straight sell-out that they should get as they inch back closer to the Red Line in the Eastern Conference.

Next: MLS Power Rankings Week 12

What say you, Dear Reader, about the week that was and the week that will be?

Let us know down below in the Comments Section…

Here’s the Rundown of the Atlanta United-Houston Dynamo match from last weekend as well…