5 Stripes, 4 Goals, 3 Points: Atlanta United Doubles San Jose, 4-2

There’s really only one way to discuss Atlanta United’s second half outburst that led to their 4-2 win on July 4th…

It was chippy, out-of-control, irrational, lightning quick, and had momentum shifts fit more for a character schwerve in the WWE… In other words, it was a quick-turn match for two sides screaming toward the Gold Cup break…

And. It. Had. Everything…

Here’s the bulk of the work that we’ll dissect going forward…

First, this was a bit of a reaffirmation of Tommy Thompson as one of the young talents going forward for San Jose. It was an apparent stumbling block between Dominic Kinnear and the front office that Kinnear wanted to play veterans while the front office wanted more of a youth movement.

Kinnear is out of work at present, so we see where the plans are…

Interim head coach Chris Leitch talked about Thompson’s impact after the match:

"“Tommy took it well. The work that he’s put in along with all his teammates in the last nine days is unbelievable. When you think the kid is done and can’t go any more, he keeps on going and he took that goal really well.”"

What was Kofi Sarkodie thinking? Not just here…

But, in general… It seems once referee Juan Carlos Rivero lost the match, the Earthquakes went ultra-cynical in some challenges and flopped trying to draw more cards when the first 45 minutes already saw 6 yellows handed out.

It Was A Match Of Firsts For Atlanta United

Including the notion of winning a match while they were down at the half.

Carlos Carmona gets the equalizer to tie it at ones and, then, Josef Martinez reminds Atlanta United fans- and MLS in general, what he means to the side when he’s healthy.

First example: Atlanta’s second goal…

The match was also a reminder that you can’t rest your brain for a minute. It appeared, on the run back to the center circle, San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski wasn’t yelling at his team, it appeared he was calling his shot. NINE SECONDS after the ball was introduced, this happened:

Chris Leitch knows what he has in Number 8:

"“When your best player is the one that constantly steps up in every single game, that is a sign of a damn-good team. That is what Wondo [Chris Wondolowski] does. We weren’t shell shocked for going down a goal, you saw us going right down there and Lima put a heck of a ball in and Wondo does Wondo, and we were right back in the game. It is a great response. Can’t ask for much more than that.”"

So, How Do You Respond?

And that’s the larger question in all of this…

When you’ve lost a lead to a side that’s a man down and has been a thorn in your side the entire match, you can take one of two forks in the road. Atlanta United went head-on and accepted the challenges put forth by a bunkered Earthquakes defense.

And this is where we talk about individual players, starting with Greg Garza and what he was able to do with centering passes meant for Josef Martinez (as you saw in goal #2). Julian Gressel came off the bench and was a part of goal #3, which, actually, came off a set piece for the first time all season long.

And, Then, Your Signature Moment…

Brandon Vazquez missed a header to the upper-90 and, on a subsequent possession, a turnover led to moments of magic. There’s, really, no other word that can fit here…

When you watch the play, Vazquez came up with a massive crossover move that froze the Earthquakes defender. The cross creates an opening that gave Martinez enough an opening to call bank off the left post for goal number four.

So, while yes it was the stars…

It was more than that in what was, make no mistake, a “must-win, gotta have it” situation…

Walkes, Gressel, Vazquez, Kyle Reynish in net for an injured Alec Kann… all names not high on the personalized kit list from the MLS shops…

And that’s what you need going forward from all 30 guys on the roster, all 18 that make it to your gameday list, and your Starting XI…

Especially, with all the matches at home in September when 8 of your last 10 are at home…

"“I thought we put in a great shift,” Earthquakes midfielder Tommy Thompson admitted after the match. “I thought the team stuck together well even when we were down a man. To get the game-tying goal even when we are down a man shows what kind of character this team has. I think we are playing with a lot of confidence and if we had played the game with 11 players, the result would have been different.”"

Chris Leitch, in only his third match as head coach in San Jose, was understandably positive:

"“I thought we started really well with a pretty good game plan, and I thought the boys took to executing that pretty darn well. We got on the front foot and scored an early one, but a sequence of events changed the game. That’s what happens sometimes.”"

Where Do You Go From Here?

Now, that Atlanta United took one road when poised at the fork, they’re now temporarily in fourth in the Eastern Conference, which, in all honesty, seems about right…

Here’s head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino after the match…

And, there’s the Gold Cup break before the blood feud with Orlando City coming on the 21st…

Which lends itself to a goalkeeping question…

Alec Kann is set to be out for the next 6-8 weeks with his injured groin that was picked up in the Columbus match last week. There won’t be a “controversy” with Brad Guzan stepping in the moment he’s cleared. And don’t be surprised if the Atlanta United front office asks if Guzan can join sooner after the group stage is completed with Guzan, Sean Johnson, and Bill Hamid all on the USMNT roster.

Just a thought to file away…

Enjoy the break… business will pick up sooner than you think…

What say you, Atlanta United fans about the first half of the season…?

Check in down below in the Comments Section and let us know what’s going through your mind these days…