The first road test of the season didn't go the way Atlanta United hoped. After a scoreless first half against Charlotte FC, the 5-Stripes conceded twice in the span of four minutes in the second to fall 2-0 at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Final Score: Charlotte FC 2, Atlanta United 0
What happened: Atlanta conceded in the early moments of the second half for the second straight week. From the back, Charlotte played a long ball over the top end-to-end. Wilfried Zaha, making his debut for Charlotte, found himself on the ball as Atlanta United scrambled to get their defense organized in transition. The ball knocked forward and midfielder Pep Biel slid a shot past goalkeeper Brad Guzan to make it 1-0 Charlotte in the 50th minute.
On the second goal, Charlotte again got the ball forward quickly. Guzan blocked the initial shot from Liel Abada, but Zaha finished off the rebound in the 54th minute to double Charlotte's lead.
The second-half burst from Charlotte came after the first 45 minutes saw Atlanta United as the side creating more chances. Of the 12 shots in the first half of the match, Atlanta took 10.
The first shot on goal of the match came in the 18th minute. Atlanta combined and moved quickly in their attacking half. Matt Edwards played the ball into Bartosz Slisz in the middle. Slisz acted as a wall and touched it forward to Miguel Almirón making a diagonal run. After a couple dribbles, Miggy tried to squeeze a shot with his left foot from a tough angle, but goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina was able to handle it and make the save.
Apart from a tantalizing strike from Alexey Miranchuk in the 68th minute, a good effort from Jamal Thiaré in the 88th and a right-footed attempt from Edwin Mosquera in stoppage time, Atlanta United couldn't make much happen after the home side went ahead. In the 72nd minute, Atlanta United head coach Ronny Deila sent on a slew of substitutes to try and salvage a result. Thiaré replaced Latte Lath, Mosquera for Miranchuk, Xande Silva for Saba Lobjanidze and Tristan Muyumba for Matt Edwards. The subs brought energy but didn't find the back of the net, and the 2-0 scoreline held.
Quoting head coach Ronny Deila:
"As a group, we have to learn from these kinds of experiences. We had gone six games [dating back to preseason] without losing. Now we lose, and we don't like to do that, especially this way because we were very even with them, maybe even better than them, in the first half. Then, they win. They deserve to win in the end because what happened in the second."
Key stat: Three. That's how many center backs started the match for Deila. With three fullbacks out due to injury, Luis Abram joined Derrick Williams and Stian Gregersen in the starting XI.
At times, they looked like a three-man backline. In other moments, Abram pushed wider to cover the left flank. When Abram dropped back, it left a lot of room on the wing for Saba Lobjanidze. With Alexey Miranchuk dropping so Almirón could tuck inside, the space allowed moments for the two wingers to combine.
When Saba kept his width, Atlanta's attack was able to take advantage like in the 40th minute when the winger left his defender in the dust. The deflection on Saba's shot came the way of Latte Lath, who struck the ball well on a volley, but his shot missed the mark. A few minutes later, Jay Fortune played a ball fast after being fouled in Atlanta’s defensive half. Atlanta was on the front foot and moved quickly up the pitch. Almirón received Saba's cutback and put a shot on goal, again from a close angle, but was blocked.
Standout: Both teams featured a dynamic designated player with Premier League experience on the wing. Almirón of Atlanta and Zaha for Charlotte were two of the most high-profile signings this winter, and they both appeared in the starting XI Saturday for their respective clubs.
Each player shined in one of Saturday's halves. In the first, Almirón was the one more involved in his team's attack, taking shots and using skillful dribbles to carry the ball into more dangerous areas. In the second, Zaha recorded a goal and an assist, which ultimately changed the game.
Milestones:
- Jay Fortune and Derrick Williams both appeared in the starting XI for the first time in 2025.
- Dominik Chong Qui made his MLS debut, becoming the third youngest to play for Atlanta United. The defender signed a short-term agreement to be available for Saturday's match and was sent on in the 88th minute.
Up next: Atlanta United will look to bounce back and string some results together with five of their next six matches at home. First, the club hosts New York Red Bulls on Saturday, March 8 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The night will celebrate women and girls in sports, so take advantage of the special ticket pack that includes a bracelet and access to a pre-match panel.
