Maddie’s Version: Hesitant, Disjointed, and Now Urgent
- Madison Crews
- 16 minutes ago
- 3 min read
I think the hardest part about Saturday night isn’t just that Atlanta United lost 2-0 to San Jose.
It’s that it felt like a step backward.
Coming out of Cincinnati, I thought there was something to build on. It wasn’t perfect, but for a season opener, it was solid. There were stretches of control. There were ideas. There were moments where you could see what this team is trying to become.
Against San Jose, I didn’t see that progression.
If anything, I saw regression.
And that can’t happen this early in the season.
The first half just felt hesitant.
It felt like second guessing. Like overthinking. Like players getting in their own heads instead of just playing.
There were moments where you wanted someone to take a risk. Take that extra step. Play the ball forward with conviction. Instead, there was a pause. An extra touch. A safer option.
Maybe that’s chemistry still developing. Maybe it’s guys still learning each other. That’s fair in Week 2.
But it didn’t look like Cincinnati.
In the opener, the team looked organized and composed for long stretches. In this one, it felt nervous. And when you’re hesitant at this level, it shows immediately.
For me, it came down to the little things.
Ball control. First touches. The ability to hold possession and then push it forward with purpose.
Too many sequences broke down before they even had a chance to develop. The connection from the back to midfield to the attack just didn’t flow the way it needs to.
It felt disjointed.
When you can’t control the ball cleanly, you can’t build. When you can’t build, you can’t create. And when you can’t create, you’re chasing the game.
I thought bringing Alexey Miranchuk off the bench helped settle a few moments in the second half. There were flashes where you saw things slow down in a good way. But it wasn’t enough to flip the overall performance.
The attack still isn’t clicking consistently. The buildup still needs work. The pieces are there, but they’re not syncing yet.
And that has to change quickly.
I’ll go back to what Ronald Hernández said after the match. You remove this game. You learn from it. And you bounce back at home.
Because now the home opener against Real Salt Lake isn’t just another match.
Real Salt Lake just beat Seattle 2-1. They’re not coming in as an easy opponent. But that doesn’t change the reality for Atlanta.
You have to pick up points at home.
It’s not a “would be nice.” It’s not a “we’ll see.”
It’s a must.
You have a stretch here where you need to feed off that crowd. You need to use the energy from the Seventeens. You need to set a tone in your own building.
But more than anything, you need to show improvement.
Cleaner touches. Faster decisions. More confidence in the final third. Better connection between the lines.
There has to be growth.
Two games in, no one is panicking. But you can’t ignore what Saturday looked like. It felt like a step back from Week 1.
Now you get the chance to respond.
At home.
And it has to be better.
(𝓶𝓪𝓭𝓭𝓲𝓮'𝓼 𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷)