Atlanta United showed grit in the face of adversity on the road, earning a share of the points in a draw against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium Saturday afternoon. Both teams were in makeshift mode, dealing with injuries and absences for international duty. The match truly tested its managers, as Ronny Deila and Pat Noonan had to maximize their squads with players out of position. Deila's moves made a difference. His substitute, Cayman Togashi, earned the secondary assist in his team's first goal.
Final score: FC Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 2
Quote from Ronny Deila: "I'm very happy with a point. I think it was deserved. I thought we should've won the game. We were the better team in 60 minutes. I sit there with the same feeling I've had the last five, six games. We show how much quality we have when we're playing good, but we lose shape and concentration and discipline when things are going against us ... The first 60 minutes, you cannot do so much more."
What happened: Pressure built, but nothing developed to relieve it early. Both teams created great chances inside the first 10 mintues. Alexey Miranchuk took quite the crack in the 3rd minute, nearly scoring on a longshot from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box. The attempt careened past the keeper but was denied by the crossbar.
Brad Guzan made an massive stretch to deny Cincinnati an opener in the 6th minute. The reaction save off a set-piece header was his first of five saves on the day. Atlanta United's captain kept his squad hanging around, as he has in multiple games this season.
Atlanta United's buildup flowed through the right side of the attack in the first half. Saba Lobjanidze, Miranchuk and Emmanuel Latte Lath combined well, building the attacking chemistry they've been preaching patience on since the start of the season. Visually, the attack looked cleaner and more instinctual, and the spells lasted further into the match.
FC Cincinnati had a stroke of luck in the 34th minute, as a Saba cross found Tristan Muyumba's head and the ball bounced toward the goal. But Latte Lath, who was making a run into the box, couldn't see the ball as it hit him and feel to the keeper before it could hit the back of the net.
Muyumba went down hurt after putting in a sliding tackle in 37th minute. His momentum stood him up awkwardly after the challenge as he appeared to tweak his leg. He was stretchered off the field. Deila said after the game that the initial outlook is that the injury isn't as bad as first feared but that they will know more soon.
Ronny Deila called upon Cayman Togashi to replace Muyumba, moving the attacking-minded Miranchuk back to the holding midfield.
Cincinnati's back five sat further back and pressed less ferociously than some of Atlanta's previous opponents this season. Instead, the Orange and Blue broke quickly on the counter when Atlanta United lost the ball. Their combination play was quick and precise, but the 5-Stripes defense stayed disciplined. The squads split possession 50-50 at the break, but it was Atlanta United who created more expected goals, 1.3-0.3.
The first few minutes of the second half looked like the game would be more of the same. But who else would it have been to break the deadlock than Latte Lath? The 5-Stripes' leading goalscorer continued his dominance with a goal in the 49th minute, a left-footed first-time strike into the left side of the goal.
He couldn't have done it alone, and it all started with the substitute. Togashi earned a throw in on the right side, taking it quickly with a through-ball-throw over the heads of two Cincinnati defenders. Saba ran onto it, playing in the assist to Latte Lath with a firm right-footed cross.
Lobjanidze didn't want the fun to stop. He nearly made it two in the 57th minute with a low shot that curled just outside the left post. Then, he nearly did it again a minute later. Finessing his way between defenders, he found space on his left foot. His strike forced a save from Roman Celentano that hit the post and got away.
Evander, Cincinnati's gunslinging 10, led the charge for the home side to equalize. Deila tucked most of the squad behind the ball and condensed into the middle to brace for impact. Ultimately, it was a free kick that found its way into the back of the net to level the score. Guzan dove to his right to stop Evander's shot, but a harsh deflection off of the wall angled the ball into the net in the 69th minute.
Just six minutes later, the MLS MVP candidate from last season made it two. Derrick Williams put in a slide tackle, but the ball fell right back to Evander, who put the ball into the right side of the goal to give FC Cincinnati the lead in the 75th minute.
It looked as if the game was winding down, but Lobjanidze found room on the right side. He whipped a ball into the box, looking for Latte Lath. Cincinnati's Alvas Powell must've thought the striker was right behind him, as he tried to clear the ball quickly. Instead, his slide sent the ball into the net, evening the score with an own goal in the 88th minute.
Neither team gave up on a winning goal, but chances fizzled out and the teams left the pitch with a point each.
Starpower production: In a match where both teams had to get creative due to players missing, the stars showed out. Evander, Latte Lath and Lobjanidze generated all of the goals. Evander had six shots on the match, four of which were on target for two goals. Latte Lath scored with his one shot, and Lobjanidze assisted and forced the own goal to tie the match.
Standouts: Miranchuk had one of his best performances of the season so far. The summer 2024 signing was a key building block of the attack in Atlanta United's 2024 offseason, and he's starting to delivering on those expectations.
With plenty of rapid attackers around him, Miranchuk was a change of pace. He was smooth, and his presence on the ball was calming as he waited for options to develop. Still, he was lethal when he saw an opportunity. He nearly scored very early, and he set up Lobjanidze with a pass before his cross that became the equalizer.
Latte Lath and Lobjanizde's performances were definitive of the result. They created both goals with their direct and pacey runs in behind the defense. The two combined for six shots, three of which were on target.
Maybe the most impressive part of the match from those three wasn't even their attacking output. It's that they put in a shift on defense. Latte Lath, Saba, and Miranchuk all took on extra defensive responsibilities to stay in the match.
"You don't score if you don't defend," Deila said. "It's a team effort."
Will Reilly, making his first ever MLS start, played a full 90 minutes in defensive midfield. He was fearless, as the 22-year-old showed no hesitation putting in tackles and playing passes in behind the defense. He's yet another defensive midfielder that has shown great promise for the 5-Stripes this season.
"Will was unbelieveable, debut game, you can't do more than that," Deila said. "He had the mentality I'm looking for. That was fantastic to see ... Trustworthy is the number one word [for] him. That's what we need for everybody in good and bad times."
Milestones:
- Will Reilly made his MLS debut, starting in defensive midfield. He signed a Homegrown contract in December 2024 and now has an MLS start under his belt.
- Xande Silva picked up his first start of the 2025 season. He played on the left side of the attack.
- Latte Lath scored his fourth goal of the season, a team high and tied for second most in MLS before the rest of Matchday 5. He became the the third player in Atlanta United history to score at least four times in his first five games with the club, joining Josef MartÃnez and Ronaldo Cisneros.
- Cayman Togashi recorded his first goal contribution in a competitive match for Atlanta United, a secondary assist on Latte Lath's goal.
Up Next: Atlanta United plays three straight games at home, beginning next Saturday when the 5-Stripes host New York City FC. That game will be kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on March 29. From there, Atlanta will face FC Dallas and New England Revolution the next two weekends before heading back on the road. The stretch will be one of three times this season that Atlanta United plays three consecutive games at home.
