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Atlanta United Vs FC Dallas: 5 things we learned – Missing identity

By Josh Bouland

ATLANTA, GA APRIL 20: Atlanta's Julian Gressel (24) can't believe his shot on goal just missed during the match between FC Dallas and Atlanta United FC on April 20th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA APRIL 20: Atlanta's Julian Gressel (24) can't believe his shot on goal just missed during the match between FC Dallas and Atlanta United FC on April 20th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA APRIL 20: Atlanta’s Dion Pereira (28) looks to make a move on Dallas midfielder Jacori Hayes (15) during the match between FC Dallas and Atlanta United FC on April 20th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA APRIL 20: Atlanta’s Dion Pereira (28) looks to make a move on Dallas midfielder Jacori Hayes (15) during the match between FC Dallas and Atlanta United FC on April 20th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. Pereira makes debut, Gressel disappoints

Dion Pereira made his debut with the first team on Saturday, subbing on for Julian Gressel in the 80th minute. Pereira joined Atlanta United from Watford during the offseason. The 20-year-old winger made two appearances with Watford’s first team while coming up through their academy.

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Pereira, according to mlssoccer.com, occupies a slot on Atlanta’s reserve roster. He has made three starts for Atlanta’s USL Championship club, Atlanta United 2, and appeared in Atlanta’s game day 18 last week against New England.

After Gressel’s subpar performance, Pereira made his debut in front of the home crowd. Unfortunately, he failed to make an impact in the final ten minutes of the game, but minutes are minutes and it was nice to see a fresh face.

As for Gressel, he was mostly nonexistent. After ripping a decent shot early in the match, Dallas kept the midfielder in check and we didn’t hear much of Gressel’s name the rest of the night. Gressel only completely 16 of his 32 attempted passes in open play, which is far below his usual efficiency. He should bounce back, but the performance was uncharacteristic and disappointing.

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