Five Takes On The Five Stripes

The one where we are stopped short at short-stop.

1: There’s a reason NYC has only lost like, half dozen games at Yankee stadium. I hate playing here. The margin for error is so thin. Set pieces are even more of a threat then they normally are. Any chances that NYC had came from our mistakes which unfortunately are always going to be magnified in this venue. 

 

2: There were some nervy moments towards the end of the first half but overall we looked pretty comfortable in the first half. I think having the past two weeks to train on a pitch that matches the smaller dimensions was a big help. I didn’t see too many over hit passes. We didn’t look like we were jamming ourselves up. Passing looked clean, crisp careful and deliberate. 

 

3: NYC came out in the first minutes with energy carried over from the end of the first  that we did not match and then they got the flukiest of fluky goals. I’ll be honest that I thought it was going well over the bar too but as a player, you can’t make that same assumption. We were caught flat footed on that goal and the second. 

 

4: We’re always going to keep Josef on because his ability to hit a wonder strike but over the last few matches he hasn’t been able to get on the ball much at all. He’s been static, most of the time waiting for the ball to land at his feet. Looking forward to seeing a fully fit King in 2022. 

 

5: In hindsight, maybe we shouldn’t have been as careful and patient as we were in the first half. We were measured and controlled but maybe we should’ve taken a few more risks and a few more chances at getting that early goal rather than bank on the match going our way the longer we kept it to 0’s. I think the future looks…..positive and a little uncertain. The ship was definitely righted in the 2nd half of the season but I fear we are in for another super silly silly season. There will be a number of moves, some of them key core members of the squad. I hope Pineda has a lot of input and we get the signings done as quickly as possible. It’s going to be a short offseason. 

The one where we are those MO%$!@F%$#!@!

1: What happens in New Jersey apparently travels to Cincinnati. Ironically, we looked like could’ve used a Red Bull in the first half.  It was a surprisingly and disappointing slow and uninspired first half. Given the opportunity that was in front of us I expected us to come out fighting and take control of the game immediately. Now with the NYC and Philly result it didn’t end up mattering in terms of getting a home game, but it was disappointing nonethless. To put it simply, we looked disinterested. 

 

2: Not having Moreno or Sosa left us without anyone connecting the play midfield or organizing the attack. Ibarra just didn’t provide that. Our press, if you want to call it that, was ineffective. We didn’t win the ball back enough and when we did, we never capitalized. Passing and first touches were sloppy. It was down to individual runs with ball at Barco or Luiz’s feet. We were bereft of creativity and teamwork. It was a bewildering 1st half performance. 

 

3: I don’t need world class play every time but my goodness, it wasn’t until stoppage time of the first half that anyone started to even step up and have a sense or urgency. This kind of performance, even if only for one half, won’t be good enough in the post season. Certainly not against NYC on their kiddie pitch. 

 

4: So you’re telling me Bello has a chance? And then another chance? I don’t know what’s going on but if he converted even 1/3 of his chances, he’d be a completely different player and we’d be in a completely different position. 

 

5: Please tell me the PR team recorded the halftime speech. I gotta know. I’m imagining a Bill Pullman Independence Day style moment. The subs of Mulraney, and Lennon the formation switch to a back 4 made a huge difference so once again, I think credit goes to Gonzo. Also Josef Martinez is that Mo&@!%F*^%$!@. He’s given us some breathtaking goals, that one sure sucked the air out of my lungs. That being said, it’s gonna have to be a much better full 90 performance to move on from here. Hopefully having Moreno and Sosa back and healthy will help. We are going to have to be at our absolute best with our absolute best players. 

The one where neither can live while the other survives

10-30 Toronto

 

1: Luiz is that guy. He can develop the attack in midfield. He can drop back and defend. He can finish chances. He create them on his own.He had a gift of a goal but he’s still gotta unwrap it. That’s not the first time Luiz has got a goal out not giving up on the play. 

 

2: Moreno my god. The amount of distance we can travel. With the ball. Holding off a defender. 🤯

 

3: BAMM BAMM. When it’s in full effect we are seeing some of the most threatening creative attacking sequences we have ever seen in this club. Balls over the top, building out of the back, quick counters, crossing quality balls into the box. This is attacking on all fronts. 

 

4: And for all the attacking soccer…we get a draw. Having an XG of 2.6 and only one goal to show for it against bottom feeders Toronto is simply not good enough and won’t get us far in the playoffs, which, we still have to make. 

 

5: It was nice to see Jake again, if only for a brief Cameo appearance. When our starters are playing well we can forget we still have his as an ace in the hole. He always answers when called upon and it was a good move by Pineda. But it wasn’t really a spark that we needed tonight. The effort was there. The chances were there. We just weren’t clinical enough. Plain and simple. 

10-27 Miami

 

 

 

1: Josef had a poor first half. He wasn’t able to get on the ball and when he did he was easily taken off it. A lot of that I think comes down to positioning. Playing out wider and deeper doesn’t suit him. Like we talked about last time, I’m really happy we’ve been able to figure out how to score when Josef can’t go, but when we can and when he’s on the pitch…we kinda need him to. Fortunately he did just that in the 2nd half. Twice. Josef says FUCK YOUR OFFSIDE. 

 

2: I think Luiz is really figuring this soccer thing out. Totally deserving of Man of the Match with a goal and an assist. That goal was hugely impressive. Keeping it on the ground with enough pace to sneak it under the keeper is not easy. He’s been a natural fit for this team from the jump and now he’s becoming consistent with his goal/assist production rate. 

 

3: Gonzo made great subs again. Bringing Moreno on immediately at the half for Walkes was the right decision. We were chasing the game and it needed to be full attack. It also allowed Barco to drop back and have Josef assume his natural position. When BAMM is in full effect……you’re gonna like the way we score, I guarantee it. 

 

4: 25 fouls…… that we know of. 5 yellow cards. Seems Phil Neville’s side has adopted the strategy of, if you can’t beat’em, kick’em. LGP of course his contracturally obligated yellow. They were just playing a really aggressive ugly brand of football all night. We handled it well. Credit to the guys for not losing their heads. Also, half of those fouls…yeah…they were on Barco. HALF. 

 

5: No rest for the weary. We do control our own destiny. There’s still the possibility of a home playoff game but that’s gonna require at least two more wins and probably a draw.  There’s still the possibility of not making it. It’s gonna be a fight. Bare minimum we need at least a win and two draws. We would be at 51 points and that’s probably enough to play soccer in November. The schedule is in our favor. The points are there for the taking. 

The one where having a goal is not good enough

1: Marcelino is a Number 10+. Chance creator. Chance finisher. Dribbler. Back a Brinks truck up to his house and lock him in as long as we can. The only “criticism” I have is maybe go down when you’re fouled in and around the box. 

 

2: This was an outstanding defensive performance. Calm and controlled throughout nearly the whole match. Even when NYC had chances, which wasn’t often, we never panicked. There were no wild clearances. We played out of the back, found outlets and sprung the attack. Truthfully most of the time we were winning the ball back before anything could even develop anyhow. Alan Franco was outstanding. 

 

3: Some things never change and Cubo is one of those things. Largely invisible and when he did have the ball at his feet, it wasn’t long before it was taken off. Having a solid back up for Josef next season will be very important. To give him a little credit, he did have a shot that wasn’t completely sky’d and he didn’t do anything horrifically bad. 

 

4: Was it a foul? Look, we had ample opportunities to kill the game off and we just couldn’t get that 2nd goal. As it got closer and closer to full time and the more chances we didn’t convert I just felt like something has gonna happen for them off a fluke or set piece. And it did. 

 

5: I’m really happy we’ve been able to be threatening and find goals without Josef. I’d make the case that we actually looked better before Josef came on. Look, sometimes the ball just won’t go in and this was one of those nights. I think we are still in a good spot. The grind continues. It was always going to. 

The one where we got pout-ine our place

1: Terrific pressing from us in the first half. We were smothering the ball and forcing turnovers frequently. Honestly the pressure was really good in both halves. We were great at keeping the ball in the foot’s half, and attacks always seemed to be in development and the chances started coming at the end of the first. 

 

2: Moreno’s absence was a huge factor. We were missing that link up play and Rossetto didn’t really provide it. We saw Barco and especially Josef dropping back trying to link things up. When Moreno isn’t available we need Rossetto to be more involved and get forward a little more. 

 

3: Ever see a boat fly? Barco’s confidence is soaring. He’s trying some audacious stuff and if it doesn’t always come off, boy is it close. He just didn’t have the support he needed tonight. Apart from the goal created by the combination of Mulraney and Araujo, he was the sole chance creator out there. Unfortunately with Josef out for the entirety of 2nd, there really wasn’t anyone to get on the end of the chance creation. That’s a problem Gonzo will have to solve. We still don’t have a great like for like replacement for Jo or a different way of scoring when he’s not out there. Tho, Barco damn near put the team on his back and drew us level towards the end. He really put in a shift. 

 

4: Bello needs to be better in the final third. He’s been great in receiving the ball and continuing to develop the attack but that last pass from him or shot needs to come sooner. Be more decisive Bello, please and thank you. 

 

5: Jake Mulraney was terrific again. He hasn’t seen a ton of minutes over the last few months so it’s great to see him be so impactful. Also, has his footwork always been that good? He’s known to us for his speed and energy but he ain’t half bad on the dribble either. 

El donde Atlanta es familia

1: Miami was playing super compact. It was difficult to break down for the first 30 minutes but then we started to find ways through by being a little more direct and incisive. I was pleased with the set piece productivity again. No goals, but there were a handful of half chances that looked really good. Barco also put ANOTHER ball right on target. He’s really trying to dethrone Kratz. I would’ve like to seen us drive into the space more than we did. We have dribblers who just didn’t dribble much tonight. 

 

2: Brooks was so good in the first half. He was a big reason why Miami didn’t come down our right much at all. He was cutting off passing lanes, and positioning himself really well to be right where we needed him to be in dangerous situations. His usual freakish levels of endurance were once again on display. 

 

3: This is a really important win for us and not just because of our position in the table. It’s our first win over Miami. We tend to struggle with teams who sit a little deeper and play compact. We get frustrated. We start taking wild shots (there were a couple) and then we get exposed on the counter. The defense was pretty rock solid tho and we found a way tonight, even if that PK was….questionable. Full credit to Gonzo, smart, if not a little risky, effective subs that paid off. Jake coming on for Anton changed the game. 

 

4: Santi played his role to perfection tonight. His passing was pinpoint. He neutralized threats before they developed into attacking plays. He was really good on the half turn and, he even had a few half nutmegs. He just looked really great, really mature professional performance from him. He looked like a solid veteran leader out there tonight. 

 

5: 100/124. After recovering from an ACL. That is prolific on a level this league has never seen. 

The one where we are pro union, except when we play them.

1: I was really surprised by the lack of energy and intensity, especially in the first half. I mean Philly wants to play a slower game in general but that doesn’t mean we have to match that. Passing sequences were slow without much verticality. Even without Josef’s intensity I didn’t expect it to be as plodding as it was. 

 

2: I guess Gonzo went into the locker room at half and said, that’s it, no more cake! The quality of play was raised but not the pace really. At least we were better with the ball and kept it in the unions half.  But, even with better control  of the match, we didn’t have a lot of clear opportunities. 

 

3: Guz is the only reason it was only a 1-0 score line. The back line looked out of sorts. Miles especially was lacking, which was another surprise. To be honest, no one really showed up. Much of the struggles might be chalked up to not having Alan Franco due to yellow card accumulation. Gonzo did mention that this last Thursday’s training session wasn’t sharp. Maybe one too many cake smashes. He’ll have to figure out how to approach balancing training and rest with the squad. How to balance kind of being the fun positive energy guy with also being demanding. Balancing that is probably made even more complicated because of the issues with Heinze. 

 

4: Rob Valentino wasn’t with the team and hasn’t been for the past few days due to Health and Safety protocols. Coach Pineda mentioned his absence as making things more difficult. That’s a little curious for me. I mean, is Rob’s absence that much of a factor? Is he really that spark? I only bring it up because Gonzo specifically mentioned it as being a factor. That’s odd for me. 

 

5: This was a weird and kind of concerning match. I can’t really point to anything tactically speaking that was a problem. We didn’t play badly persay, we just didn’t really play at all. Under Heinze we could point to exhaustion and even questionable tactics, but the players always showed up. So this was pretty weird to witness. Hopefully this is just a weird blip. No more cake smashes until the energy is back. 

The one where we have the goat and the boat

1: This started out looking like a game being played on short rest. Energy was low and it just looked sluggish. The schedule is brutal. You’re gonna have games like that. It’s unavoidable. So how valuable is it to have someone who can bang them in off free kicks and get your side up early? This is the Barco we paid for. This is the Barco that was hyped. This is the Barco we hoped for. Al is forgiven. Barcolazooooool!

 

2: Bello has got to calm down a little when he’s running at goal. He had a few clear cut opportunities that have to be goals. And then of course right as I was writing this take….he scores 😆. He was in the right spot and at exactly the right time for the tap in so that’s good and now hopefully the IQ and split decision making keeps progressing. His skill and and strength is not in question. 

 

3: Really not interested in hearing any more negative talk about Guz. He’s still got it. He’s quicker than you’d think. He reads the game well. For the most part he makes good choices. His distribution isn’t perfect but who’s is? He’s still a great shot stopper too. A Goalazo is a Goalazo and no keeper stops either of those goals from DC. 

 

4: We are taking our chances. This is one of the biggest differences with this club now and this club two months ago. We had been creating chances. We had SOG. We just couldn’t convert and now I half expect half the chances to end up into the net. What a difference a BBQ and some water can make. 

 

5: Araujo is a game breaker. A stat buffer. Coin it however you want. You felt the momentum and energy shift when he came on. No one has come out firing so quickly like he has. We have some players that are finally having their potential truly unlocked but no one has come so good so quickly. 

The one where our players have a steak in their celebrations

1: It was coming and today it happened. Luiz is a damn baller. Really happy to see him find the net today. He’s been so close so many times. I fully expect this to unlock a bevy of goals. He’s a technically gifted player who’s great on the ball, an excellent passer, he can dribble, he can shoot. I’d probably be better off listing the things he can’t do just for times sake. I can really see him becoming one of the leagues best players. 

 

2: Tonight we did something we normally struggle with, breaking down a back 5. We did that by trying some balls over the top and getting an early goal doesn’t hurt either. Cincinnati at this point can’t afford to drop any more points if they wanna play soccer in November so they had to come out of thier shell. That just left them even more exposed all night and we exploited the space they gave us. 

 

3: #ThatMyUnited. This is what we remember. This is what we want. We’re back. Actually I’d make the case that we been back since that W in Columbus. You know me, I don’t like to be hyperbolic, but i argue this isn’t just being back, this is better. Did we take a cue from the Biden PR team? It certainly appears so. 

 

4: It’s the boat show, it’s the Josef show, it’s the Araujo show…..still isn’t the Cubo show 😂 but damn, it’s all the shows. We posses so much attacking threat from so many different ways and from so many different players. I know Cincinnati is crap but keeping the opponent guessing is going to propel us into a good playoff spot. 

 

5: In addition to recent player acquisitions, looks like the FO finally got the coaching hire right and for all the criticisms we’ve laid at their feet (justifiably so) they deserve recognition here. Pineda in combination with Rob has instilled joy and belief into the squad. He’s getting the intangibles right. The engagement with the fans, the community, the social media content, al this stuff matters in this league and to this club. Happy footballers makes for quality play, and we gettin it. 

The one where Orlando has Nani, and nada

1: If/when Miles leaves, it’s George Campbell’s job. His progress has been really similar to Miles’ in fact. He’s developed, he’s had time with the 2’s, he’s taken his opportunities well with the first team and made the case for himself. He needed a big performance tonight and he was absolutely immense. The goal is just the cherry on top. 

 

2: Someone check the crest, since when does Atlanta United defend well against dead ball/set piece situations and then score off of them as well? I don’t care if it’s officially going down as an own goal, that ball in from Barco was beautiful and created the goal. Two weeks off and developing some cohesion and understanding amongst the players does wonders. 

 

3: The interchange in the midfield and quick transitions was so much better. Passing was clean, quick and crisp. More importantly it was meaningful. We created space with our movement off the ball and we looked threatening every time we went forward. 

 

4: So Moreno doesn’t get the call because he doesn’t go down because it’s not his style and he’s that strong. So Moreno doesn’t get the call when he does go down. I’m confused. It literally took him being sandwiched between two Orlando players in the 79th for him to get a call. PRO continues not to protect creative attacking top tier players in this league and it’s infuriating. Rivas was very inconsistent in his calls and the line for what constitutes a yellow was moving all night. 

 

5: I would make the case, that this was our best game of the season. I would also make the case that water is wet. This was a full team full 90 performance. 3 goals and a clean sheet  against a top conference team who had really had no serious chances all night is outstanding. We were threatening and creative in our attack. Tricks and flicks. Layoffs and overlapping runs. It was all on display tonight. Beautiful win. Important performance for the team and Pineda. We’re still on a really good run here. Gotta continue it on Wednesday. With Josef and Miles back in the lineup I feel very good, and you should too.