Atlanta United Vs San Jose Earthquakes: 5 things we learned – Crazy, crazy night
By Josh Bouland
4. Atlanta’s worst performance in history
This statement is only a slight exaggeration: Atlanta’s performance on Wednesday night was the worst in their brief MLS history. This is not entirely true, considering their opening day 4-0 loss to Houston. However, this must be a close second.
The final score reads 4-3, but, at one point, Atlanta were 4-1 down. By the 68th minute of the game, Atlanta’s pitiful defense had shipped four goals, which Atlanta has only done once this season. Chris McCann looked like a deer in headlights for San Jose’s third goal, and San Jose made mincemeat of Atlanta’s normally solid defense throughout the 90 minutes.
There were a lot of factors going into Atlanta’s poor defense. The pitch was very slick, and many players were seen falling down, especially on the Atlanta side of things. The uncharacteristic formation also most likely affected Atlanta’s chemistry and cohesion. They looked flat all over the pitch all night, and San Jose was doing a good job of making the Five Stripes pay.
If not for a crazy refereeing decision, Atlanta may have lost this match 4-1, or even worse with the way things were going.