Atlanta United Express Lane: Columbus In 10 Items or Less
By Jon Nelson
Okay… So, the week didn’t start the way Atlanta United on the whole wanted it to…
It was, probably, the SLOWEST game-winning goal ever recorded when Poku nudged the ball past Alec Kann at the death for the win in the Round of 16 in the Open Cup…
For those of you who want to be reminded of what went down in the 3-2 loss to Miami FC out of the North American Soccer League, it’s below…
But, there are a few things to look at going forward…
There’s A LOT of youth up front in the system
For the last 30 minutes of the match, your up-front attack was 17, 18, and 18 years old when Lagos Kunga, Andrew Carleton, and Brandon Vazquez were chasing the equalizer and the game-winner.
Think about that for a second… two home growns (in the truest sense of the word) and a Californian who is becoming more at ease when Gerardo “Tata” Martino put him on the right-hand side in the previous Open Cup match against the Charleston Battery.
Now, the front office gets to work on the midfield and defense in the system going forward.
Not that the guys currently playing are “old” chronologically, but they may not be around Atlanta for the entirety of their careers (see: MLS 3.0 Playbook chapter on flipping young talent and reinvesting those funds and that’s only a few seasons away…)
Let’s face it, the veterans and starters needed some rest
Jeff Larentowicz, Michael Parkhurst, Miguel Almiron, Yamil Asad, and (insert name here) have played practically every minute of the regular season, short of a red-card moment or two.
With a match Saturday in Columbus FOLLOWED by a July 4th match at home against San Jose something, simply, had to give…
Rest had to happen at some point with these back-to-backs and the minutes creeping up on folks. The Open Cup isn’t going anywhere, the MLS Playoffs are…
Depth is showing up where we thought it would
For these issues, let’s look at the Colorado win from last week…
In the highlight reel, you hear mentions of players like Vazquez and Anton Walkes- who was filling in at the back for Tyrone Mears. Kevin Kratz has come into do yeoman’s work when called on in the middle as well.
And this was what the team was looking for in bringing in players with certain skill sets…
Now, that Josef Martinez is starting at 100% healthy, you’re also seeing the offense and defense that Tata Martino wanted from the beginning of the season…
Remember last time?
Oh, yeah…
This happened at Bobby Dodd…
Atlanta United seemed to find an answer for Justin Meram, Federico Higuain, and Ola Kamara and with the defense and Starting XI back at full strength, two teams in the middle of the table could be set for a big back and forth match.
A Stat That May Mean Absolutely Nothing… But, At The Same Time, It May Mean Something…
Atlanta is only 0-1-5 in their last six road games…
A point-per-match average is mandatory going forward for any kind of success in staying above the Red Line. And, to be honest, a 4th-Place finish in the Eastern Conference is an attainable goal.
How to Watch and Listen
Saturday, July 1 | MAPFRE Stadium, Columbus, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Atlanta United (7-7-3, 24 points) vs. Columbus Crew SC (8-9-1, 25 points)
TV: FOX Sports Southeast
Talent: Alan Green (play-by-play), Dan Gargan (analyst) and Brittany Arnold (sideline reporter)
English Radio: 92.9 The Game
Talent: Adam Schick (play-by-play) and Jason Longshore (commentator)
Spanish Radio: La Mejor 1600 AM
Talent: Armando Carillo (play-by-play) and Daniel Cantu (commentator)
What say you, Atlanta United fan? Coming off a loss in Miami and, now, looking at the second half of the season,what do you think is going to happen going forward?
Check in down below in the Comments Section and tell us what you think!