Atlanta United Crew-ses At Home Over Columbus

(An ed. note off the top: Apologizing ahead of time for that very punny headline… we couldn’t quite resist…)

The match between Atlanta United and Columbus Crew SC had more questions than answers going in for both sides due to that dreaded phrase this time of year.

“Schedule Compression…”

Between Open Cup matches with the Charleston Battery (Atlanta’s opponent, which started after a 2:42 weather delay and ended Thursday morning) and FC Cincinnati (Columbus’ opponent where the Crew started a Starting XI just as fitting for MLS matches), there would be a wonder as to the leg strength and available depth on both sides for the match at Bobby Dodd Stadium on the Georgia Tech campus.

So, How Did They Look?

Pretty much what people would think they would look, no surprises from Columbus…

And, from Atlanta, the biggest news was Josef Martinez being on the bench and NOT in the starting line-up…

The “Peachtree Press” Was In Full Effect

Case #1- The Opening Goal

It was pressure up top that created havoc with the Columbus backline all day long and Tito Villalba was the beneficiary…

Pipa Higuain netted the equalizer and that was the first 45 minutes, which led to more frustration than execution for Atlanta United. And, from the United point-of-view, there were a lot of opportunities that Alec Kann kept out of the net and could have, otherwise, turned the match into a track meet.

"“I think Columbus played very well in the opening minutes and also the closing minutes of the first half, but in between the two goals I think you saw a strong Atlanta team,” Tata Martino said after the match. “I thought we played well in between those two goals. I think its important for us tounderstand when we have to press and when we have to fall back just to have and understanding as a team and know in what moments to do so.”"

Did We Mention “Track Meet?”

There were two distinct elements that gave Atlanta United a 2-1 lead in the second half (and, eventually, for good)… First, Miguel Almiron’s effort with the ball once he got it…

But, let’s go back to the beginning… and watch Leandro Gonzalez-Pirez at the start…

LGP meant as much to the creation of that opportunity than Almiron’s effort on offense…

"“In the first half we had some chances that we weren’t able to convert,” Almiron admitted, “but in the second half I was a little fortunate on that play. It’s not like I tried to perfectly place it in that spot. I was a little lucky, but I was happy for it to go in and happy to help my teammates.”"

Welcome Back, Josef Martinez

So, it would make the most sense for all three Designated Players to score on the night and, once again, it was Case #2 for the “Peachtree Press” getting things started with a ridiculous finish from J-Mart for the third goal…

Another defensive takeaway here…

It’s the 88th minute… and it’s really easy…

Wait… let’s get the emphasis right…

REALLY EASY… to sit on a one-goal advantage, bunker in, and get out-of-town… But that’s not what Tata Martino wants or expects when you have the chance to choke out an opponent.

The defense did exactly that… pressure in the corner with another key substitute, Kevin Kratz, getting the turnover and finding Martinez for an impossible angle, top-shelf finish.

"“I’m happy with scoring a goal today,” Martinez admitted. “After the goal that I scored I was a little emotional, especially because before I came on I heard all of the fans applauding me and chanting my name.“I’m happy to get the goal tonight and I’m also happy for the work that my team is doingbecause we knew this was a really important game, especially with all of these games comingup. It was important to get three points at home and hopefully we can keep this streak going.Not just me, but the whole team.”"

So, Now What?

Atlanta United are in, what could be an 8-match, 25-day schedule if the team keeps winning in Open Cup. But next up is a mid-week match in Washington, DC against DC United.

By Martino’s admission, rest is becoming a question that has to be addressed…

"“Its always important to try and give your guys as many minutes off as possible when you have so many games coming up,” he said. “Today the game was difficult though, but we tried to do our best. But the one player who deserved some minutes of rest was Jeff (Larentowicz) because he played the full game the other night [Wednesday] and he played today, but we weren’t able to take him off the field tonight.”"

Carlos Carmona gets an unscheduled rest mid-week because of his yellow card accumulation that hit 5 with the one picked up against Columbus. Martino admitted that Larentowicz will have to start…

Again…

Which could mean one of two things… Kevin Kratz could get his number called and be in the middle of it all or Martinez starts with Gressel, Almiron, Villalba, and Asad and the offense could be in full-on assault mode at RFK Stadium…

There are a few days to figure it out…

Atlanta United Fan: What say you after the win over Columbus this past weekend?

Sign in down in the Comments Section and let us know what you think.