Atlanta United Steamrolls Houston Dynamo On Almiron Hat Trick

Thunder and lightning could describe the weather and Atlanta United’s performance against Houston Saturday night. Neither rain nor heavy rain nor a sideways wind would keep Atlanta United from their appointed rounds Saturday night on the Georgia Tech campus.

Atlanta United may have stumbled onto something…

Trotting out the same line-up that grabbed a hard-earned point in Portland last week, Atlanta United rode a Miguel Almiron hat trick to a 4-1 win at Bobby Dodd Stadium over a Houston Dynamo side that once again proved their road side is FAR different from their home version.

The Dynamo entered the match with an offensive setup that was far different from their mid-week version that lost in Philadelphia. Alberth Elis wasn’t even in then 18 still nursing his hamstring injury. You didn’t see Romell Quioto in the Starting XI or, Erick Torres either, as both eventually made appearances in the second 45.

Which meant Dylan Remick, Alex, and Andrew Wenger got the nods and the different look in the Wilmer Cabrera-coached side took a little while to figure out. But when Atlanta United did, you saw a hybrid of the possessive style from the Portland match and the rolling-thunder offense from earlier in the season.

Oh, did we mention rolling thunder…???

The monsoon that made its way into the Atlanta metropolitan area pushed the match back almost a full hour from its anticipated start, but the sell-out crowd of 45,000 stayed and made their presence felt. As did one guy in particular…

This Miguel Almiron guy might be around for a year or two.

The prevailing thought last week from Atlanta United fans was that Miguel Almiron was, almost, too nice with the ball and tried to get everyone involved instead of shooting himself when he had the window.

That stopped against Houston…

Example One…

Example Two: Which can only be regarded as “ridiculous” with the #MiggyHop finish…

Almiron added his hat trick goal in the 80th on a penalty kick and became the second player this season to get 3 goals in a game for an expansion side.

"“Today, he was fortunate to score but I think it was coming because that was something that we asked of him,” Atlanta United head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said after the match . “Today, he had chances and we wanted him to shoot more from medium distance and we wanted him to get into the box to take shots from there as well. Today, he was able to do that.”"

And he did… the staff asked and Almiron responded:

“The coaching staff asked that of me this week. I know I have to shoot when I have the opportunity and today – thanks to God – I was able to score.”

But there’s more to the story…

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Yes, the notion is there that Atlanta United mixed their game plans for a successful three-points and four goals, but there’s depth to the tale. Yamil Asad worked well on the edge, again, and mixed well with whoever he was passing with in the middle. As you noticed in the second goal, his defensive pressure created the turnover that started the avalanche.

When asked about it after the match, Asad gave a good example of where else you see that kind of play:

"“You can look at European football like Bayern Munich’s players (Franck) Ribéry and (Arjen) Robben –they’re two players who attack but they’re also two of the first guys to be defending so if they can do it,why can’t we?”"

Secondly, let’s discuss Julian Gressel’s play…

You saw the effort with goal #2 that kept the ball in play for the eventual thunderbolt. Let’s go to Goal #3 for Atlanta United and how “Tata” Martino’s move of Gressel to the outside has done wonders for the side:

The snippet starts around the 2:15 mark on #Gresselmania

What you see is a drift to the center that creates a chance and another undercut that sends in the third goal.

"“As a player, you always try to bring the best every day,” Gressel admitted after the match. “I have dipped a little a few weeks before probably and now with the goal I get little more confidence so I am just happy to still be playing and starting, even if it is a different role. I don’t care about adapting to different roles. I am just happy to be on the field and obviously try to play the best every time I step on it.”"

The question for Martino now (and it’s a good question to have): What do you do with this line-up when Josef Martinez returns?

A “Frosted Orange” To Go, Please…

Andrew Carleton is 16 years old…

Let’s say that again: Andrew. Carleton. Is. 16. Years. Old.

I have clothes older than Andrew Carleton.

Yet the local kid with the spiky, orange ‘do is making statements on the international scene playing for his country already and you could sense something might be up when he was put in the game day roster.

With a few minutes remaining, Almiron got his curtain call and Carleton got his welcome…

Carleton didn’t back down or seem intimidated by his surroundings, sprinting past DeMarcus Beasley in possession and winning a joust or two:

Almiron joked that he told Andrew: “Blessings…” when they swapped out but, Almiron admitted that Andrew “may not have understood what I said…”

A start for something Atlanta United fans hope is a long career representing his home…

Two final thoughts on touch and tone

Martino got tossed from the match in the 53rd minute for using a nice, first-touch, right-foot lob wedge to send the ball back into play after it was rocketed out of play by the Dynamo

"“I don’t necessarily believe I deserve to get kicked out,” Martino said. “The ball got kicked into the technical area. Right to where I was and I kicked it. The play was stopped and there was a player down on the ground. It was a dead play and I kicked it. That is what happened.”"

There’s now another stat Atlanta United fans can look at going forward

Lastly, when a LOT of water happens, technology may fade, as it did in the wireless setup that was supposed to give Bobby Dodd Stadium the National Anthem. United fans filled in well…

No more microphones needed when NYCFC comes to town next weekend.

Next: 10 players who would tear up MLS

Okay, Atlanta United fans: What say you over the dominating performance of the #5Stripes against the Dynamo?

Let us know in the Comments Section below…