Josef Martinez netted a hat trick as Atlanta United downed the nine-man Philadelphia Union on Saturday night. Here are the player ratings.
It was a game full of talking points on Saturday night under the open roof of the Mercedes Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta as the Philadelphia Union made the trip south. Atlanta United won the game 3-1 on the strength of an MLS-record-tying hat-trick from Josef Martinez as the Five Stripes played just 72 hours after their disappointing draw at New England.
Martinez is now the fastest player in league history to net five hat tricks and has accomplished this feat in just 34 league games over his brief MLS career. With the hat-trick, Matinez rocketed back to the top of the MLS Golden Boot charts, while Atlanta kept their seat atop the league standings for the Supporter’s Shield.
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Philadelphia gave up a penalty kick in the 19th minute and then had two players ejected in the resulting referee confrontations to force the Union to play with a two-man disadvantage over the final 70 minutes.
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Atlanta used it to pound out 31 shots while enjoying 75% of the possession to totally dominate the match. Philly showed some grit and pulled a goal back thanks to some passive Atlanta defending from a free kick, but it was merely a consolation prize for a team chasing the game from the 20th minute onwards.
In between all the weird moments of the match, it was the overall play of the Five Stripes that raised the most questions on the night. Yes, it was a conference win, but it was lacking the usual quality and attacking flair that Atlanta United has branded over their brief existence. Injuries and a revolving line-up have tested the Atlanta depth, while players have been quick to plug right into the line-up and perform well in previous matches. This match seemed out of sync.
On Saturday, the team seemed pedestrian at times and lost interest during certain moments of the match. The usually ruthless, relentless attack was replaced by more patient possession that moved the ball touch line to touch line, circulating the ball around the Union defensive block, rather than ever actually carving right through it. So, while the scoreline favored the Five Stripes, it was actually a very ordinary performance.
Here are the player reviews.
Player reviews:
Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan — Little help from his defenders on the goal allowed. Again, he was solid in building out of the back with his feet.
Defenders: Michael Parkhurst; Leandro Gonzalez-Pirez; Franco Escobar — The first-choice trio are back together and no cards or injuries should break up this band for the next one at NYCFC.
Midfielders: Miguel Almiron; Darlington Nagbe; Jeff Larentowicz — Each of these guys played their roles very well in defending the midfield. They just needed to reduce their touches and move the ball faster forward through the midfield while attacking.
Wingbacks: Julian Gressel; Chris McCann — A very quiet night from the wingbacks until Ambrose was subbed in at the half. Losing Garza to shoulder surgery is huge for the Five Stripes. Gressel moved inside with some better results in the second half. Yamil Asad anyone? DC might deal him back after the season and we know he can do the job out wide.
Forwards: Josef Martinez; Ezequiel Barco — Martinez on the hat trick was the man of the match. Barco just had too many giveaways and never got into a real groove during this game.
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Substitutes: Mikey Ambrose; Brandon Vazquez; Romario Williams — Ambrose got a full 45 minutes in the second half and was working a left-flank combination play and crossing clinic alongside Almiron in the second half. Vazquez and Williams just saved some legs for the starters they replaced.