Maddie's Version: The One That Got Away

Atlanta United wanted to build momentum tonight. Coming off the 2-0 home loss to Nashville, this was the opportunity to do something with a compression week, to show that this group could string something together. Cooper Sanchez talked about it earlier this week. The chance was right there.

Matias Galarza moved back into the midfield on Wednesday night. (photo: Sofia Cupertino for the SDH Network)

And honestly? I thought Atlanta was the better team.

Alexey Miranchuk was arguably the best player on the field. Tata Martino said it after the match, and I agree with him completely. Miranchuk was outstanding in what he brought tonight. Atlanta looked threatening in attack. There were moments where this match was clearly theirs to take.

New England had a goal called back for offside, and that was the right call. But what Atlanta did next is what stood out. They reset. They found the moment. Fafà Picault put them ahead, and Atlanta went into halftime with a lead. That has not happened in a while for this team. That mattered.

Then the second half happened. A set piece. A cross. New England turned it around to 2-1, and Atlanta could not hold it.

That is the part that stays with me, because this is not the first time. The number of times this season Atlanta has conceded goals within fifteen minutes of each other, that is troubling. Tata Martino said so, and I agree with him. It is not a mentality issue, not really. It is about those moments where the focus dips just enough. Atlanta had numbers in the box on that cross that led to the go-ahead goal. They had the numbers to clear it. They did not. That is something that has to be addressed.

Fafà Picault was strong in his start Wednesday night. (photo: Sofia Cupertino for the SDH Network)

Fafà put it simply after the match: you get the goal, now go find the second. Go find the third. Put the game away before things can happen. I do not care if that is five goals. Put it away as fast as you can. Because that is what it means to be the threat. To be the protagonist. Atlanta United needs to be the team other teams have to worry about, not the other way around.

Atlanta has shown some of that this season, the growth showed up tonight in quality. But there needs to be more from this team. Toronto is next, riding high after coming back to draw 3-3 with Philadelphia, and that 1 PM kickoff is the next chapter. Atlanta has to keep climbing toward something. Time to show it.

(𝓶𝓪𝓭𝓭𝓲𝓮'𝓼 𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷)