Five Takes On The Five Stripes

The one where Curtain is maybe not so certain

1: Well that was a very organized, one might even say, authentic performance. For me this is our best showing this season. When you take into account, the clean sheet, the quality of the opponent and losing Georgios, this was pretty damn complete. So why now and not against NYRB? I don’t really know. Yes home field plays a role, but we largely played how we like to play, albeit with some different players, but overall I thought we just executed better. 

 

2: Happy to see us play with more aggression and assertiveness against a team who plays with both. The boys got stuck into more challenges and weren’t afraid to throw in a few shoulders and just use their physical strength more than we did against energy drink FC. 

 

3: Caleb Wiley with the ball at his feet is an absolute joy to watch. He plays with so much energy and intent. When the ball comes to him he picks his head up and immediately works out the shortest path to goal. Having him charging at goal is a serious enough threat itself, let alone the freedom and space it gives to other attacking options. Oh and he had 7 ball recoveries and an interception. 

 

4: Thiago is a cheat code. And like any cheat code, the same code does not work for every game. But my lord when it does, you’re a given a game changing advantage. 

 

5: Georgios, unfortunately, has a history with injuries and he’s carried that history with him here. For me, we should be looking at yet another proper 9 backup in this window. Berry has shown us his ceiling and it’s lower than Bilbo Baggins house. Tyler Wolff could serve in that role, but that’s a lot of weight to put on his shoulders and he’s been doing so well in his progression as is. I don’t know if we want to change that up right now. If we have the ability to move Berry on, we should. 

The one where we Nick’d a result

1: Tyler Wolff’s goal to salary ratio is getting more and more impressive. He’s got a goal scorers instinct. Tonight he did show other areas of his game that need developing and that’s completely ok. Things he needs to learn can be taught, things he already has cannot. 

 

2: Good quick response to going down early. Not something we’ve done a lot of actually lately. Usually takes us a while to get going and respond. NYC tried to pull a Memphis 901 and press a young rotated side and to their credit, it worked for them. But we didn’t fold. We didn’t collapse. We kept fighting and we dug out a draw and in truth, we had plenty of opportunities to even take all 3. 

 

3: Ibarra and Purata were excellent defensively. Goal saving interventions from both and consistent all night. The run from Purata in stoppage time to tackle AND win the ball was particularly impressive. Making those kinds of runs and efforts is huge, and not just for what winning the ball does in that moment but for what it does in terms of upping the will and fight of the rest of the team when you’re chasing the game. 

 

4: Not for the first, second or even third time, a late sub decision from Pineda gets us a result. Cristen and I were both asking the question, why not a little earlier tho. It didn’t feel like the goal was coming so let’s make the change at 75 or even 80. I mean if we’re chasing and only have the kids, F it, let’s give them a little more time to try to get something out of the game. BUT, we did get the goal and thus the draw so kinda hard to say it wasn’t the right choice. 

 

5: Like Blink 182 we stayed together for the kids. All things considered, I think we have to be happy with that performance and content with the result. It’s certainly miles above what we showed the last time we were missing a large contingent of players and the youth really showed up and showed out tonight. Wolff continues to make his case for starting and if you haven’t been watching Firmino play with the 2’s you should. He’s been finding the net with regularity and I had a feeling he was gonna have something to say tonight. The kids are alright. 

The one where we need to be hungry like Tyler Wolff

1: Another lack luster performance. We just can’t seem to put together a full performance on offense and defense. It’s one or the other. Tonight the defense was there and the offense was not. Clearly build up and playing through the midfield was not happening so short of making subs, we have to recognize that we need to adapt and then execute. We have the ability and the talent up top to go direct and for our direct play to be more than simply huffing forward and hoping. We can actually be dangerous. At the very least it would’ve forced Orlando to defend a little because apart from a couple set pieces, we gave them little to be concerned about. 

 

2: Etienne with another meh match. He just doesn’t seem connected to the game when it’s unfolding in front of him. It’s really bizarre. He’s clearly talented but he’s just been kinda sloppy and not reading things at all. Disconnected is I think the best way to describe his game. 

 

3: When a player as good as Almada and as important as Almada has a bad night, it sticks out more and the effects are felt more acutely. He missed more crosses and by his his standard, easy passes, than maybe he has in totality for the whole season. I think Orlando did a good job of handling him but he was also just off. I hope it’s not some lingering injury. 

 

4: What’s the problem with a strong starting XI, no one to come off the bench and really change the game. I’m sure folks will be screaming for Pineda to make subs, particularly in the midfield, but who was really on the bench? FWIW unless it’s a fitness or injury concern, I do whole heartedly disagree with taking GG off, but there’s really no one sitting on the side who can come in and break the game open. That being said I would have like to have seen the subs we did make come on sooner and a little more creativity from Pineda in our shape since he couldn’t bring on a real game changing type player with who was available. Credit where it’s due, Fortune and Wolff did end up changing the game. If we can just stay competitive until the summer window I think this team is set up to make some big positive changes. 

 

5: So Miguel Berry was pretty decent tonight. Truthfully he played with a bit of swagger. If he had been producing at any level at all up to this point we’d probably be ok with that performance. He had TWO shots on goal. That’s more than he’s had all season. If he can just bag a goal and a couple assists we might be able to keep him on his super low wage. 

The one where we have the boom but still leave too much room

1: The overwhelming majority of takes prior to the start of the match we’re in regards to the lineup selection. Not starting Miles or Sosa and starting Berry again had people feeling a certain way. I had questions as well but I also understand that playing 3 games in 7 days necessitates changes and well the team looked pretty good to me. We took more shots and better quality shots before GG took the field. Shoot, even Berry was more involved and he did in fact win the free kick that lead to the first goal.

 

2: Luis Abram. I dunno. He hasn’t had a ton of minutes to have a proper evaluation on the man and it is hard when you’re a player whose not in rhythm to come out and perform but regardless, for the money he’s on, the performances haven’t matched up. The soccer IQ doesn’t quite seem to be where it should be. The free kick and ensuing corner that lead to Chicago’s 1st goal starts with him not clearing the ball and just stumbling backwards and then for some reason he feels the need to stick out a leg and put the final touch on the ball that gives the corner when the ball is clearly going out for goal kick.  He doesn’t look starting caliber to me neither technically or mentally but I’m not opposed to giving him more starts to see if he can get into a rhythm and show more than he has. Given that Caleb is gone and with the pretty severe match compression, he’ll get his opportunity. Credit where it’s due, he did have a vital block around the 79th minute that prevented a clear shot on goal. 

 

3: When it comes to the table points matter, feelings don’t. I think you happily take a point on the road even if it feels like points dropped because of, once again, a late goal conceded. You can look at draws as either points dropped or a point earned but for me I’ll be happy with the point. The single points do add up. Look at a team like Montreal. Not a single draw. If they had just a few draws, they’d be in at least a playoff position. Likewise if we dropped our single pointers we’d be down near the edge of the playoff line. Looking at it the other way, we could’ve added 6 more points to our tally which would put us 2nd in the East and in the league. With 6 more points I don’t think folks are as concerned as some are right now and those 6 points missed are largely down to individual mistakes. 

 

4: We can’t just play a normal game of soccer against these guys can we? This match was weird. It fit some narratives but then it was so chaotic with send offs and the types of goals and when they came, I just don’t know if there’s much to really take away from this one except the usual of having shown fight to come back, and an inability TO SEE MATCHES OUT. 

 

5: It’s easy to say the defense was just bad when you give up 3 goals but it’s important to look at the kind of goals conceded and how the chances developed. The first two goals were not off of build up play where the defense was just wildly out of shape and the third came with our best defensive players on the field 🤷‍♂️. The first was an Olimpico, where Westburg should’ve done better and it also came from an individual mistakes from Abram. The second also came from an individual mistake from Puratta and developed off a quick move from a stop in play. Everyone has to be switched on and you can’t have those glaring individual mishaps because we are often punished for them. 

The one where we don’t go without Georgio

1: When we have a total of 4 shots 1 on target in the first half, it’s not nearly good enough. Any time we showed any semblance of a threat it came down the right via Brooks’ excellent service or, surprisingly enough, a bit of brilliance from Luiz. To be fair, game state does matter and once Charlotte got their goal it changed everything. They set up in their mid-low block, were compact and disciplined. We just could not break their lines and Berry did not make himself available for anything over the top or literally anything else. 

 

2: We were successful against Charlotte last time because of our counter press. Any time they won the ball off of us at least two of ours would swarm and win it back within a few seconds. At that point Charlotte was not set and we went straight to goal. That did not happen in the first 45, really the first 70, with any sort of consistency. 

 

3: What a brutal couple weeks for former players scoring on us. Big love to Meram. It almost looked like he thought about just putting that first shot over the bar. I’ve never seen a player so remorseful after scoring. It’s been years since he played for us and he was hear for such a short time. It’s a credit to his character that he can be so beloved after such a short period and even after all these years. 

 

4: Its just like what Lily from AT&T said, “It’s not complicated”. Watching GG and Berry play in the same match is like night and couches. They ain’t even in the same category. GG showed us more in 28 minutes than Berry has in over 445. We need an elite 9, STARTING. Everything changed after Charlotte’s first goal and we could never find our way back in, especially after the red and converted penalty. But this team plays completely differently when GG starts. The same was true when he had Josef. 

 

5: The cries for Pineda’s head will be loud. Any coach knows that this is a results driven business. Eventually the wins have to come or a change will be made. But for me, what I saw tonight was not poor coaching. The difference between GG and Berry is vast and that ain’t coaching. Gutman making a terrible decision in the box is not coaching. For me the only knocks you could put on Pineda tonight were not being more experimental, & maybe even putting GG out there at all and risking injury when the game was gone. But I trust the trainers and staff to know what he could give tonight. Maybe  some minutes might have been good for him. And it did show us, CLEARLY, what are our issue is. We can’t be a one/two player team, but we quite clearly are right now. Both in terms of quality of play and maybe more importantly, attitude. Summer window will be very important and very busy. 

The one where the king took a knee and all three

1: Josef Martinez scored 2 tonight. Good for him. I’m genuinely happy for him. Moving him on was still the right decision for Atlanta. Miami had both their goal scorers out there tonight and what happened? They won. They’ve got 6 losses because Campana hasn’t been there and this other guy Josef hasn’t been scoring. What have we been missing in our losses? We struggle without a true 9, as so many teams do, and we have yet to solve the back up 9 issue or get consistent goals from the wings or elsewhere. GG does have a little history with injuries so creativity may be required from Gonzo for us to keep finding the net and not go on these losing skids when we don’t have GG available. 

 

2: Well the match didn’t really start until the 25th minute but then we started to create some really nice opportunities. Having Etienne on the right linking up with an often overlapping Brooks was far better than having Etienne on the left with Luiz holding up the play for no good reason on the right. 

 

3: Mr Consistency was earning that nickname tonight. Lennon’s service was excellent and if he had just a little less zip on that ball to the spot to Almada in the first half, I think Thiago would’ve been able to hit it first time or at least take a touch and have a shot. You gotta think that if GG was out there tonight that he’s scoring off at least one of those balls from Brooks’ foot. 

 

4: FWIW Luiz was better tonight, much better. Maybe he’s better suited to coming off the bench. He was actually part of the attack. He actually started attacking movements. Imagine that! His passes were sharp and progressive. He didn’t sky shots or crosses. I saw a confident player with patience and vision. I saw the player we paid for but just don’t often see enough of. 

 

5: I felt we were the better team. I see reasons to be frustrated and disappointed but I don’t see reasons to be alarmed. We not only controlled large portions of the match but we had the better of the chances from open play. We do need more urgency in the final third. Without the soft penalty we get a draw, without GG, and that’s really not bad. I’m not saying there aren’t still problems to solve, there quite clearly are, but the “team is trash” takes that are out there are kinda trash themselves. What would be alarming to me is not getting results and not identifying why, or if we continue to identify but not correct the issues and for me, it’s far too early to say we’re doing that. 

The one where it was free to watch us lose 3

1: Sucks to give up a goal. Sucks even more to give up a goal to an unmarked man on a set piece when you’re largely in control of the match. They really did not have much in terms of chances from open play in the first 45 and you never got the feeling that it was coming so to concede like that really hurts because it affords the opponent the opportunity to sit back and protect that cheap lead. 

 

2: We’re missing Georgios. Chol is an interesting player but he’s not an out and out striker and that has largely been this teams problem in recent years in terms of not scoring. He didn’t make the same runs GG does to create not only opportunities for himself, but for space for others. 

 

3: That was one of the coldest penalties I’ve seen. I thought for sure Thiago would try to go top shelf. But he played it cool in a high pressure moment, kept it on the ground and just rolled it in. Kid’s got it all. His ability to dribble out of trouble and hit 50+ yard diagonals on a dime is just other worldly. 

 

4: Luiz may have shown us about as much as he’s capable of showing us. Barring some major turnaround and a real run of CONSISTENT form I just don’t see how he remains on this team. Much less as a DP. He’s skilled and brilliant in moments, but we need more than moments out of our DP’s. His lack of productivity is killing us. It’s just how this league works. 

 

5: Well, I’d ask for a refund ala Tottenham, but the club already paid for the tickets. 😂 I think some perspective would be good here. The sky is not falling. Yes, there’s been a dip over the past couple weeks. Normal in any season and considering where we’re coming from, it has to be expected. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this drop off coincides with some significant injuries, not least of which being Guz. Team just plays with a different personality when he’s part of it. That being said, big injuries seem to be our lot in life, so we are going to have to find a way to put in better performances in spite of them. Honorable mention to Sosa. I thought he was very good today. 

The one where we Juanted it more

 

1: Ok I dunno 😆. There’s a couple ways you could look at this match. One view says we gotta start closing out games confidently. It’s concerning how we shoot our selves in the foot at the end. It’s really unfortunate that it almost came from a player who’s been among the very best for this team. The other view is that we did manage to break that narrative and get a W when we clearly were nowhere near our best. Champions find ways to win and today with a little bit of grit and a little bit of luck which has been, with and against us this season, we found a way. 

 

2: The first goal will always be huge for us no matter how it comes. Today it was route 1. Chances came more from route 1 than then build up play or counter attacks. That’s honestly fine with me because it shows yet another way this team can produce and be dangerous when the “Atlanta United way” isn’t really working like it wasn’t today. 

 

3: I think we badly need Ibarra starting in the midfield. It’s not just Thiago that’s key to how we operate. Yes the equalizing goal is pretty much on him but in the past two games our play in the middle of the park has really suffered. We need him in there commanding and controlling the play to give players like Thiago the ability to operate more freely. 

 

4: it’s official the injuries are a thing. I have no idea what happened with Westberg but I hope it’s not serious. The FO deserves tremendous credit for having us so deep at Keeper but now we’re fresh out. Reyes from the 2’s will most likely have to be called up for Wednesday’s match and potentially signed to a homegrown deal for MLS play. Hopefully GG isn’t concussed or angered his hammy further. If the injuries keep coming week to week again, it’s going to have an impact on the summer window and how we approach new signings. It could really derail things. 

 

5: Death, taxes, and GG scoring when he starts. Is this guy something or is he something? He understands space and how to occupy it. He finishes smartly. He puts in work on the defensive side. He’s intelligent as exhibited by the smart yellow. Pretty sure he’s who Vertical Horizon was signing about. 

The one where he chopped but got stopped

1: We dropped two points. There’s plenty of good things to take away from this match, but first and foremost, we missed out on a statement win. Actually one of the positive things that I take away is that the whole team is looking at it that way too. That’s the the mentality I want. A draw isn’t good enough. Especially when the win is right there. We expect more. Two road draws is by no means a poor result, but with the table often being so damn tight at the run in, this might be a game we look back on with real disappointment. 

 

2: I think it’s a credit to this club and it’s stature and status in the league that every team when they play us seem to pull out their best performances against us. Even when our opponent might be struggling and on a poor run of form, we always seem to bring out the absolute best in them. It remains a statement to beat this club. 

 

3: Injuries are starting to matter again. Brad, Almada, and now GG. We gotta hope that Thiago is just precautionary and that GG will be short term. For now we’re handling absences really well. Tonight we were missing Guz (which is a bigger loss than some realize) Ibarra, Thiago, and GG for most of the 2nd half. In spite of missing some of our best players, we are still finding ways to get performances and results. Feels like the team is remembering last year and refusing to wilt. Hopefully the injuries don’t really start to pile on because at some point it does become insurmountable . That being said, as disappointing as dropping two points is, I think tonight did show that this team is not dependent on any 1, 2 or even 3 players. 4, 5, 6 might be a problem tho. 

 

We will be missing more players. Caleb and Miles will both be called up. Caleb will be in the u20 WC for a month. US Open Cup about to start. 

 

4: Chol has been the perfect example of better depth. I’m gutted he didn’t have the game winner. He stepped up, as he and others have this whole season. Teams seem to struggle with him. He’s a bit of a wild card that can be played when you need to throw something different and unpredictable at the opposition. If injuries are going to be a thing again, that next man up mentality is going to be key to us having a successful season. 

 

5: GG has been the exact signing we needed in a number 9. He’s consistent, and not just in scoring, but more the way he’s finding the goals and the chances. He’s not just a target man. He’s hard working, fights for every ball but at the same time is humble and a real team contributor. Let’s hope the treads haven’t come off the tank too severely. 

The one where we get ejected but not dejected

1: This team is good y’all. Both of the “New York” teams are arguably our toughest matches because of the unique challenges each opponent offers. And TBH every team struggles with them. Red Bulls because of the ugly style of play. NYCFC because of the postage stamp they play on. We played some pretty good football against both. And tonight we managed to get the first goal whilst down a man. I’m really happy with the performances and more importantly the consistency. 

 

2: Ibarra is finally a take. Sucks that it has to be under these circumstances. He’s been quietly going about his work. He’s been a big part of our success and I think next week we’re gonna find out just how big. Unless we try to appeal the red which honestly, I think it’s worth a try. It wasn’t malicious or reckless from Ibarra for me. It was dangerous from both players. 

 

3: We’ve always been a team that plays well when we are able to control the game and play our style. This year we’ve shown more of an ability to adapt better when we can’t do that and still find a way to get results. We’re handling adversity well and teams who win trophies tend to do that. 

 

4: Really looking forward to getting Gutman back so Caleb can get forward. Etienne has shown some real skill but based on his mercurial form, I just feel like Caleb would have found the net a couple times in these last two matches if he wasn’t filling the role of Gutman. 

 

5: On the whole, every player just seems like the best versions of themselves this year. Ibarra has been massive. Rossetto has been far more consistent. Even Machop Chol, in the limited minutes we’ve seen him, has shown to be a real attacking threat with more composure than he’s ever had playing with us. We’ve a long way to go but for me right now we feel more balanced, and cohesive than at any point in our history.