Atlanta United 2 drew 0-0 with Tampa Bay Rowdies Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium in a match which saw each team have a player sent off in the first half. Paul Christensen matched his season-high with four saves to help ATL UTD 2 post its first clean sheet of the season and snap a five-match road losing streak. The Rowdies had scored in 30 consecutive home games prior to Saturday night, dating back all the way to a 1-0 loss against FC Edmonton on August 20, 2016.
“I’m happy with our group and pleased to get our first clean sheet of the season,” said ATL UTD 2 head coach Scott Donnelly. “With our playing style, we have to be good in one-v-one defending moments as well as organized in transition, and some of the work we have done is starting to show up. A definite step forward, a good point and a to do it with 10 men against a dangerous attacking team is progress.”
Atlanta came out the aggressor in the early going and had a pair of scoring-opportunities inside the first 20 minutes. Midfielder Laurent Kissiedou nearly scored in the third minute when he ripped a left-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area that missed wide right. ATL UTD 2 again almost took the lead in the 16th minute off a free kick into the 18-yard box from Jose Carranza. AJ Cochran headed the cross toward center of goal where Andrew Kendall-Moullin flicked the ball on frame, but Tampa Bay’s goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald blocked the shot and the play ended with a foul by Atlanta.
ATL UTD 2’s momentum was checked after defender Will Crain was sent off for being shown his second yellow card of the match in the 40th minute following a foul on Joe Cole. Tampa Bay’s one-man advantage, however, was short-lived after the Rowdies’ Marcel Schafer was given a straight-red card for violent conduct on Oliver Shannon in the 44th minute.
A 10-on-10 second half presented a more defensive-minded Atlanta side, which finished the match with 62 percent possession, while Tampa ripped nine of its 13 total shots. Christensen was called into action multiple times and denied Tampa Bay’s Leo Fernandes twice in the final eight minutes of the match to preserve the result. In the 82nd minute Christensen made a diving save on his near post to his right which led to a corner kick that was ultimately cleared. Minutes later in the 86th, Fernandes took a touch behind Atlanta’s defense for a one-on-one opportunity, but Christensen rushed out to block the attempt.
Atlanta almost stole the three points in the first minute of stoppage time after Carranza served a ball into the box from the left side that found the head of Devon Sandoval. However, the forward’s header missed just inches wide of the left post.
ATL UTD 2 (2-6-4, 10 points) returns to action Saturday, June 9 against Indy Eleven at 7:00 p.m. EST at Lucas Oil Stadium. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
MATCH RESOURCES
LINE SCORE
Atlanta 0, Tampa Bay 0
Al Lang Stadium
St. Petersburg, Florida
STATS
Shots: 8-13 Tampa Bay
Shots on Target: 3-5 Tampa Bay
Corner kicks: 1-2 Tampa Bay
Fouls committed: 15-15 Tied
Saves: 4-3 Atlanta
Offside: 2-2 Tied
Possession: 62-38 Atlanta
Passing Accuracy: 86-75 Atlanta
SCORING SUMMARY
None
DISCIPINARY SUMMARY
TBR – Martin Vingaard (yellow) 25’
ATL – Will Crain (yellow) 33’
ATL – Will Crain (red) 40’
ATL – Jack Metcalf (yellow) 43’
TBR – Marcel Schäfer (red) 44’
TBR – Joe Cole (yellow) 90’
ATL – Andrew Kendall-Moullin (yellow) 90+2’
ATLANTA UNITED 2 STARTING LINEUP
Paul Christensen; Will Crain, AJ Cochran, Andrew Kendall-Moullin, Jack Metcalf ©; Chris Goslin, Oliver Shannon; Laurent Kissiedou (Shawn Nicklaw – 82’), Jose Carranza, Jon Gallagher (Jose Hernandez – 45’); Yosef Samuel (Devon Sandoval – 58’).
Substitutes not used: Nico Caraux, Kevin Barajas, Alessandro Castro.
TAMPA BAY ROWDIES STARTING LINEUP
Akira Fitzgerald; Hunter Gorskie, Tamika Mkandawire, Ivan Magalhães; Lance Rozeboom (Martin Vingaard – 20’), Marcel Schäfer; Michael Nanchoff (Leo Fernandes – 74’), Joe Cole ©, Max Lachowecki; Jochen Graf (Alex Morrell – 66’), Junior Flemmings.
Substitutes not used: Cody Mizell, Sebastián Guenzatti, Leon Taylor, Georgi Hristov.
ATTENDANCE
5,953
OFFICIALS
JJ Bilinski (referee), Amilcar Sicaju (assistant), Haris Besic (assistant), Jasmine Peralta (fourth).
TEAM NOTES
- Atlanta recorded its first clean sheet of the season
- Atlanta held Tampa Bay scoreless at home for the first time since the start of the 2017 season
- Paul Christensen matched his season-high with four saves
- Will Crain received his first red card of the season, the team’s second
- The result snapped a five-match road losing streak
