Atlanta United vs. Philadelphia
Philadelphia Wins 1-0
Penalty Kick Dooms Atlanta
Atlanta Latinos Magazine – Two teams heading in opposite directions met Saturday night at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Atlanta United, second to last in the Eastern Conference and on a seven-game winless streak, faced off against the Philadelphia Union, second in the conference and winners of four of its last five matches. The trend held true, with Philadelphia securing a 1-0 road victory.
The lone goal of the match came in the second half. Tai Baribo converted a penalty kick in the 59’. It was his league leading 11th goal of the season. The penalty kick was awarded after Atlanta’s center back Luis Abram was called for a hand ball in the box on a clear scoring opportunity.
Atlanta continues to struggle on the offensive end. This marked the sixth time this season that it has been shutout. The team has scored only four goals in the eight-game winless streak. On the positive side, the team did look to be in better form, as it connected on passes and had several scoring chances. However, the team is not clinical enough, struggling to convert its opportunities. As head coach Ronny Deila said, “we are soft in both boxes. No killer instinct.”
Interestingly, the story may have been the post-game press conference. Deila opened up on the frustrations he and the team are experiencing, showing more passion than is seen on the field. “It’s a terrible situation to be in…I’m here to build something.” He continued, “it’s about hunger. It’s about personality.”
Atlanta looks to rebound at home against Cincinnati on Sunday, May 25.
Notes…Brooks Lennon started the match for Atlanta, but had to leave in the 20’ after appearing to re-aggravate a hamstring injury…Philadelphia defeated Atlanta 3-0 less than a month ago…Atlanta led time of possession 65% to 35%…Philadelphia is now tied atop the Eastern Conference with Cincinnati, who is Atlanta’s next opponent…attendance was announced as 40,974.
