Atlanta United Vs New York Red Bulls: 3 things we learned – Win streak snapped

Atlanta United fell to New York Red Bulls on Sunday night 1-0, snapping their five-game consecutive shutout winning streak. See what we learned.

Atlanta United lost 1-0 on Sunday evening to New York Red Bulls, snapping a five-game consecutive shutout win streak. Tom Barlow scored Red Bulls’ only goal in the 65th minute on a header at the far post. That goal came 30 minutes after Red Bulls defender Tim Parker earned a red card, meaning New York found a way to win with one less man on the pitch.

It was a frustrating affair for an Atlanta United team that has yet to beat Red Bulls in regular season competition. In fact, the Five Stripes haven’t even scored a goal in Red Bull Arena yet, despite four matches and 360 minutes (all including playoffs) to do so. Yet, despite the lack of winning on the Atlanta side of things, this series is becoming a full-fledged rivalry.

After the final whistle, a few players on both sides got into it with each other, further fueling an already fiery series. With Sunday’s result and tempers flaring, the July 7 match between these two teams in Atlanta will be must-watch soccer.

See what we learned from Sunday’s disappointing and frustrating result.

3. Rivalry renewed

Although Atlanta have yet to win in the regular season over Red Bulls, this series is certainly turning into a rivalry. I touched on the beginnings of this rivalry last year, but that was before these teams met in the playoffs, in which Atlanta demolished Red bulls 3-1 on aggregate to advance to the MLS Cup final. There is an intensity between the players on the pitch both during the match and after, as evidenced by the scuffle between Hector Villalba and Kemar Lawrence.

Lawrence had this to say after the match: “The only thing on my mind was to repay them for how my team felt last year, and I felt like we did that.” This is a very interesting take from Lawrence, who, in his quote, is implying that a chippy regular season win in May is equivalent to stomping the other team en route to an MLS Cup. It is unfortunate that Lawrence, someone whose absence clearly played into Atlanta’s ability to defeat New York in last year’s playoffs, felt the need to make such absurd comments after outplaying Atlanta opposition (again).

Meanwhile, Villalba clarified his actions on the pitch after the match, in which he mimed holding up the MLS Cup (something Red Bulls have never won): “We came last year, won here, and no one showed any disrespect to anybody…When they win everything’s good and they don’t show respect, and when they lose nobody says anything and they leave.”

At the end of the day the scuffle after the final whistle is nothing except fuel for an increasingly interesting rivalry. There will be more intensity on July 7 when these teams meet again, and if they meet again in the playoffs this year.