The one where we play Real good soccer.

1: Sejdic had a helluva game. Him and Rossetto both were at their best. Sejdic had at least 3 tackles leading to turnovers that, at the very least, lead to good attacking sequences if not outright chances. He ran himself into the ground and I think this team, now more than ever, needs a player doing that. I don’t want anyone inured but that kind of effort, playing for literally every ball, has a big ripple effect. 

 

2: The theme of giving up a goal quickly after scoring continues. Justin Meram has so much quality but truthfully his target was WIDE open. Once again, Alan Franco left a man unmarked. Hard to believe he was on a DP contract initially. There’s a lot of criticism being leveled at the FO right now, some fair some not. I think it’s totally fair to hold them to account on Franco. He’s good at times but has never been consistent from game to game. His mistakes are of the most glaring variety. 

 

3: Ronaldo was dynamic as hell tonight. Both of his goals in the first half were top class under pressure finishes. He looked confident running at goal calling for the ball like he did with his first goal, receiving the ball from Almada. That assist was nothing to shrug at either. Almada has the ability to put the ball on a dime when he wants to. 

 

4: The attack looked totally different when Josef came on for Ronaldo and not really for the better. I’m not saying Ronaldo is a better player than Josef, but i am saying that who we had available tonight was better suited to the type of player he is. And that will be something for Pineda to consider going forward. He’s more of a work horse and will do more off-the-ball and defensive work than Josef will. He tends to play a larger role in the manufacturing process of his goals. 

 

5: This felt like a careful result. There were times when we could’ve broke on counters, or even midfield turnovers, and more often than not, we made the conscious choice to hold up the ball, get everything reset, and then move forward. A more confident and cohesive Atlanta United would probably be more aggressive in those moments. Given who we are right now, that was probably the right move even if it’s frustrating at times for us fans to watch. Right now, it’s about points by any means necessary.