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

1. Attack lacking ideas, running out of gas

Five matches in 15 days is certainly taking its toll on Atlanta United’s players. The team has performed well in this stretch, winning four by shutout and only losing the fifth by one goal. However, all those matches, combined with travel across the country from Kansas City to Atlanta to Vancouver and New Jersey, began to manifest itself in the players and their energy on the pitch.

This was most evident in one of Atlanta’s most important players. Pity Martinez was very sloppy throughout the match with lots of giveaways in the midfield and missed passes. Hector Villalba’s first touches were poor as well and a mental lapse in the defense ultimately led to Atlanta conceding a game winner.

Frank de Boer’s subs were not great either. Brek Shea replaced Michael Parkhurst and had a fantastic cross right after joining the match, but that was as far as his contributions went. Dion Pereira subbed on for Julian Gressel and although Pereira brought some energy to the Five Stripes, it didn’t result in anything substantial. Periera on for Gressel didn’t make much sense as Gressel is an important chance creator for the team. Romario Williams may have come on too late for Leandro Gonzalez-Pirez as Williams didn’t provide anything substantial either.

De Boer, who was criticized early in the season for his handling of in-game substitutions and squad rotation, has done a fantastic job over this tough stretch. However, his decisions on Sunday evening came up short and contributed to the disappointing result.