Final Whistle: LA Galaxy Spoil Atlanta United's Final Home Stand Before World Cup Break

Atlanta United Wraps Their Homestand With The LA Galaxy Coming From Behind To Take Full Points (Photo Courtesy: Vanessa Angel/SDH Network)

Atlanta United fell 2-1 to Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night in the final home match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium before the FIFA World Cup break. Jay Fortune scored his first goal of the season, but two late goals from Gabriel Pec gave the visitors the victory.

For the final home match before the building is turned over to the World Cup in less than five weeks, this was a chance at a fourth consecutive win spanning multiple competitions.

Los Angeles Galaxy arrived with injury problems throughout the roster. João Klauss will miss time through foot surgery and will not return until after the World Cup break. Julián Aude has been sidelined since late April. Joseph Paintsil returned from injury just in time and has factored into the scoring four times since coming back, with two goals and two assists across four matches. Marco Reus had been tasked with picking up the goal-scoring slack in the interim.

Greg Vanney's starting XI had JT Marcinkowski in goal. The back four were John Nelson, Emiro Garcés, Jakob Glesnes, and Mauricio Cuevas. Edwin Cerrillo, Justin Haak, and Lucas Sanabria formed the midfield. Harbor Miller, Gabriel Pec, and Joseph Paintsil started up top.

Atlanta United offered no surprises at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Lucas Hoyos started in goal. The back line was Elías Báez, Juan Berrocal, Stian Gregersen, and Tomás Jacob. Tristan Muyumba, Cooper Sanchez, and Matías Galarza filled the midfield. Saba Lobjanidze, Alexey Miranchuk, and Latte Lath started up top.

The action favored Atlanta United in attack from the opening minutes, and aside from one instance in the first 15, the shots on target were all Five Stripes. The defensive pressure created chances for a confident Lobjanidze, Galarza, and Latte Lath.

In the 18th minute, continued Atlanta United pressure created an opportunity for Latte Lath. He shook an initial challenge from Jakob Glesnes to keep possession, but Emiro Garcés collided with him and knocked him off the ball without a call. Two minutes later, Lobjanidze was involved in an attack down the left that ended with a shot to the far post that Marcinkowski got a glove to for a corner.

Worth noting from that sequence: three quick yellow cards arrived for Stian Gregersen, Cooper Sanchez, and Juan Berrocal within four minutes, from the 26th to the 30th. For the next hour, two centerbacks would need to manage their challenges against the two primary attacking threats for the visitors.

Atlanta United appeared to have a goal in the 41st minute when Lobjanidze delivered a corner to the far post and Berrocal headed it into the net. The referee determined that Matías Galarza fouled Marcinkowski in the build-up, and the goal was ruled out. In the post-call discussion, head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino collected a yellow card of his own.

United held a 5-1 edge in both shots and yellow cards at halftime. The referee crew's decision-making had pulled focus from the match itself and disrupted the rhythm both teams had found. Martino and Vanney shared a moment on the sideline to commiserate over what they were watching.

The task for the second half was to reclaim that rhythm, rebuild the pressure, and leave the first-half decisions behind.

United came close again early in the second half, echoing the Berrocal chance from 45 minutes prior. Lobjanidze found space down the right to earn a corner, but Berrocal's subsequent attempt went wide.

The Five Stripes had two more chances on goal. One was ruled offside as Alexey Miranchuk's connection to Latte Lath arrived with the number 9 ahead of the ball when he entered the box. Six minutes later, Tomás Jacob nearly had a goal to remember, his slicing volley from 22 yards crashing off the far post.

With 20 minutes remaining, Atlanta United finally broke through. Miranchuk served Latte Lath, whose headed flick went back to Lobjanidze. His shot deflected off two Galaxy defenders and was kept out by Marcinkowski. Off the subsequent throw-in, Jay Fortune drove toward the 18, made two cuts to create space, and drove a low shot into the far corner for his first goal of the season.

The lead lasted three minutes. An Atlanta United turnover released Joseph Paintsil down the left. He found Marco Reus, who played the ball right to a sprinting Gabriel Pec. Pec finished past Lucas Hoyos to level the match.

Los Angeles took the lead in the 79th minute. Reus received a cutback pass from Pec inside the box after getting in behind the defense. Hoyos saved his initial shot, but the rebound sat at the edge of the six-yard box and Pec fired it home for the lead.

Six minutes of added time gave Atlanta United a chance to find an equalizer, but the Galaxy's transition quality, sharpened by the second-half introduction of Reus, proved the difference. The 2-1 result ended a three-match winning run for Atlanta United.

United out-shot Los Angeles 13-10, but the Galaxy registered all five of the match's big chances and held a 6-3 edge in shots on target, despite entering the final third 24 fewer times than Atlanta.

Atlanta United (3-8-1, 10 points) closes out the pre-World Cup schedule on the road, with two matches in Orlando across two different competitions.