Atlanta United Vs Philadelphia Union: Winners and losers – Five Stripes stumble again

ATLANTA, GA MARCH 10: Atlanta head coach Frank de Boer gestures from the sideline during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Atlanta United FC on March 10th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA MARCH 10: Atlanta head coach Frank de Boer gestures from the sideline during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Atlanta United FC on March 10th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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ATLANTA, GA MARCH 17: Philadelphia’s Haris Medunjanin (6) reacts after referee Robert Sibiga issues a yellow card during the MLS match between Philadelphia Union and Atlanta United FC on March 17th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA MARCH 17: Philadelphia’s Haris Medunjanin (6) reacts after referee Robert Sibiga issues a yellow card during the MLS match between Philadelphia Union and Atlanta United FC on March 17th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Loser – Philadelphia Union defence

For 63 minutes, the Union defence managed to stop Josef Martinez and co. from registering a single shot on target.

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Impressive, indeed, until the Venezuelan fired an ambitious overhead kick into the arms of Andre Blake.

And then, in the 69th minute, they wasted all of that good work by allowing Ezequiel Barco a chasm of space to just waltz into the box and head home the Atlanta equaliser. All of a sudden, the Union went from an unlikely, inspiring away win at the defending champions to conceding their sixth goal in three games with no clean sheet on the board so far.

They might have finally got their first point of the season, but, if not for a leaky defence let down by errant and unfocused marking, it could and should have been so much more. Jim Curtin will be pulling his hair out,  I am sure.