Momentum Lost: Five Stripes Let Lead Slip in Latest Setback vs Charlotte

Atlanta United and Charlotte FC had a back-and-forth contest Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium that ended with Charlotte narrowly putting away a 3–2 win. The first half saw some quick passing combinations in the final third and showcased encouraging signs for Atlanta, however three goals conceded in the second half resulted in the fourth home loss of the season and dropped the Five Stripes' overall record to 4-11-8.

Charlotte defeated Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday night. (Photos: Sofia Cupertino for the SDH Network)

"We scored two goals, and we could have scored more, but you cannot go into a match thinking you need to score four goals every time if you want to win," said Atlanta United head coach Ronny Deila. "So, it is the same story -- soft and no character. That is how I would describe it, and you can blame me. You could blame everyone, but in the end, it is me that is responsible for this. Today, I am very pissed off. It is tough."

Atlanta came out of the gates with momentum after making four lineup changes from Wednesday's comeback draw, earning two corners in the opening two minutes and nearly capitalizing on a great early ball in from Alexey Miranchuk. The attack had more flow and presence than recent games, with effective buildup from the backline and confident movement into the final third.

That early energy paid off. In the 10th minute, defender Efraín Morales pushed upfield to begin the play, finding Miguel Almirón. Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty tackled the ball away, but it ended up with Bartosz Slisz who then served a perfectly placed cross to Tristan Muyumba, who rose to meet it and headed it home. This was his first goal of the season and second career MLS goal, with the last coming in September 2023.

Despite just 45% of possession in the first half, Atlanta’s touches were meaningful, with positive forward progress and strong link-up play, especially between Ronald Hernández and Almirón on the right wing. Five chances were created in the first 45 minutes by Atlanta compared to two for Charlotte.

The visitors responded physically, picking up two yellow cards in the first half as the intensity picked up. Atlanta stayed composed and continued to push the pace heading into the break.

Efraín Morales was forced to leave the match at halftime. "It was not an injury but he said that he couldn’t sprint, and he felt it more and more with every pass he made at the end of the first half, so that was a sub we had to make," Deila said. Pedro Amador checked in and Matt Edwards moved into the middle of the backline. Charlotte took advantage of the changes and resulting uncertainty, with Idan Toklomati finding the net in close range after a scramble inside the box after fourteen seconds.

Charlotte pulled ahead in the 59th minute when Pep Biel set up Wilfried Zaha at the top of the box, who tucked away a composed finish to make it 2–1. Atlanta responded with urgency, trying to build pressure in the attack and forcing two excellent saves from Kristijan Kahlina.

Atlanta has conceded seventeen goals in the first fifteen minutes of the second half this season. "The last thing we talked about before I sent the team out after halftime was, ‘I can tell you that [Charlotte FC] are going to come out with a different tempo, because they are not satisfied with the first half, so we have to be on top of our concentration and aggression when we go out onto that pitch.’ Instead, it was a one-two and a soft ball into the box that we conceded," said Deila.

Pep Biel capitalized on an attacking third throw-in and build-up to extend Charlotte’s lead to 3–1 with a left-footed strike from around 15 yards out.

Atlanta United continued to push forward to try to get back into the match. In the 86th minute, Almirón combined with Saba Lobjanidze at the top of the 18-yard box to slip through three defenders to find Latte Lath, who took one touch and placed a smooth left-footed shot into the back of the net.

Ultimately, Biel's goal was the difference and Charlotte won their third match out of four played between the teams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta ended the night thirteen points out of the last playoff spot with eleven matches left to play. The Five Stripes will be back at home next Saturday night as they host the Seattle Sounders with kickoff set for 7:40 p.m.