Five Takes On The Five Stripes

1: We can lose, but we cannot lose like that. Tonight was unacceptable. Full stop. At least we dirtied their clean sheet but, good grief. This cannot happen. 

2: He’s a 10 but he’s not there. With missing a player like Almada we knew coming in that we might be lacking a little in the creative playmaking department. So the plan had to be force turnovers and errant passes early and often. We failed to do that. Columbus had the ball glued to their feet and we just simply couldn’t get it off them. In the rare instance where we did, we just gave the ball right back. 

3: With missing a player like Miles we knew we couldn’t afford to give the ball away in dangerous positions and yet, we gave it away like an obvious ending to a bad movie.  We were fortunate to get out of the first half at only 1-0 and then we just collapsed like SVB. 

4: Have we not paid our injury dues? I really hope we don’t see another cascading event like we did last year. Injuries do matter. It is a little curious for me how when we hang 5 on a very injury laden Portland the takes from some are “Well yeah, we should beat a team with that many injuries” So you’re saying that a team dealing with injuries to key players should lose? Ok….  Feels like Atlanta wasn’t given that same grace last year. We all agree we still should have performed better at times, even with the injuries, but they were a really big factor. 

5: The only positive we can take away from this game in Ohio is that we don’t have to stay there. I can speak with some authority on this, Ohio is a miserable place. Far and away the worst state in the union. 

1: In addition to the chemistry we’re seeing on display and the great attacking soccer, we’ve also got something we didn’t have last year, luck. I’m honestly a little surprised VAR called the screen on Portland’s goal. It’s a Goalazo and I don’t think Brad is getting there no matter what. But to win titles you need a little good fortune and we’re finally getting some. 

2: Caleb out here trying to break some kind of record for how many consecutive takes he can appear in. I’m running out of superlatives. Dude hasn’t even voted in an election yet and he’s out there putting in these kinds of performances. I do wonder what Etienne is thinking. No doubt he fully expected to start but there is absolutely no way you can bench Caleb Wiley right now. 

3: Alamada is automatic for the people. He was fully 26 yards out. The keeper knows where he’s going and he put it where he, or anyone else for that matter, could not get it. The dude is unreal. The consequence of his absurd abilities is that the more he balls out, the less likely it will be that we can keep him. So let’s stock pile as many goals and wins with him as we can. Next week against Columbus will be interesting in that we will get to see what we can do without him. 

4: As much as we have analyzed what has gone wrong for Atlanta United we should spend some time analyzing what is going so right. For me it’s the quick one/two touch and pass with an emphasis on forward progression. The ball never stops moving and that has the affect of asphyxiating the opposition because there’s really no time to rest. It’s like in cycling. The team at the front sets a high pace at the front of the column and then when the time comes to launch an attack, all the riders behind are gasping for air. Tonight we never let up and I’m really happy to see us taking more risks with our touches and passes. They won’t always come off like they did tonight but I’m happier with high risk high reward play than I am with playing it safe. 

5: Yes, I am Georgios. I said to the people around me after he had missed a few chances and been called offside, god help the league when he does start scoring. I stand by that statement. He’s hungry and something tells me he’s almost angrier about the chances he missed than he is happy about the one he converted. He’s got speed, he’s cool and composed in finishing and he’s good in the air. He’s going to be quite a signing. 

1: Well that was quick. We haven’t seen that kind of fast and decisive attacking movements in the attacking third, with final product, in some time. We came out flying and caught Charlotte off guard. We have of course started fast before, but the difference this time is we put the ball into the net. Charlotte finally responded after the 2nd with some intensity of their own and a couple half chances but we did not concede and we did not wilt. We did what we have not done enough, step on the opponents throat and put the game away early.

2: So like we were saying, Caleb Wiley. That rising star may have already risen. It’s going to be a massive season for him. Those finishes had the calmness and composure of a veteran player. He’s giving Pineda a lot too think about. He’s doing what Jackson Conway failed to do. He’s taking his chances. 

3: Luiz getting on the board with the type of clean finish we saw in pre season will be a massive boost for his confidence. When GG starts regularly one would think that will only improve if he can just put the mistakes out of his head and stay relax and composed. 

4: Having both Brad and Miles back is absolutely massive. For the most part anytime Charlotte did spring a quick counter I found myself not feeling the same sense of dread as I did last year because I know who’s back their ready and able to put any fires coming their way. 

5: The goals will come for GG. Not a whole lot produced for him in the second half but when you put the game away in the first, that’s bound to happen. It’s a long season but as of now, this is very much not 2022. Every game has seen improvements, this being the biggest step forward. Charlotte on the other hand, I think they’ve got wooden spoon potential. 

1: Caleb Wiley impressed me the most in the first half. There are some takes and narratives out there that this club doesn’t develop young players well. While it’s impossible for every young player who comes here to have success, we have been pretty damn consistent in young player development and Caleb is just another example of that. His runs both on and off the ball are dynamic and threatening. He can dribble, he can cross…for me I think he’s going to develop into the full package and become another home grown success story that will be talked about for many years to come. 

2: Thinking inside the box. Clearly the message got through to the players. Get inside the box and shoot. We still took our chances outside the 18, and they were all pretty high quality, but it’s good to see us driving with ball towards and into the box. The shots taken tonight had a much higher XG than last week, unfortunately Toronto has quality between the sticks. 

3: Toronto is kinda terrible and Sean Johnson is kinda excellent. If Toronto has any success this year it will be due in no small part to him. He will be to Toronto what Matt Turner was to New England. We had excellent shots on goal, they just happened to be against, at least for me, the best keeper in the league right now. No disrespect to our own. 

4: Etienne is a real live wire. His impact was immediate and tho we won’t even be credited with the hockey assist, he was the catalyst for the goal. He’s got a little bit of that LGP energy in him tho so he might end up in yellow card jail sooner than later. 

5: Last week on the pod we talked about being happy with the win but a little concerned about similarities to 2022. Nothing about tonight’s performance reinforces those fears but, because we didn’t get the full 3 points against a poor team we absolutely should get all 3 from, I don’t think we can say it completely and totally dispelled them either. Still, I can’t be mad at the performance. It’s more of what we’ve come to expect from our team and is well above and beyond the performances of last year. 

1: Scoring, it better be Greek to us. The new Luiz looked like the old Luiz. His touches were poor. His decision making was bad and the penalty was embarrassing. He got the keeper to go, all he had to do was roll it in and instead he hit it well wide. Dunno what size goals he’s practicing on. He also had his customary # of shots into the stands. Truthfully the shot he had from outside the box was closer than his PK. Literally he was closer to scoring from 20 yards than he was from 12. 

2: For me Brad answered any lingering questions about his readiness. He had a great save, his distribution was fine and the goal we conceded was not on him. His leadership will be key in fixing things going forward. 

3: Transition, they had it, we did not. We got burned every time they won the ball back. Whether winning it in their own half or ours, their instinct was to immediately go to goal. On the flip side our instinct seemed to be play it back or knock it around mid park for a bit before inevitably coughing it up and scrambling to get back. If we’re gonna play such a high line, it sure would be nice if we did more in the attacking phase. Any time we did get near the 18 more often than not, we froze. San Jose had a clear style of attack and we look disorganized and just searching for an opportunity by any means necessary. 

4: I’ve seen enough of Jackson Conway. His instincts aren’t good enough. He doesn’t anticipate the ball like a striker should. He was constantly on the wrong side of his defender so that any time a ball did come his way, he was never going to get it. Unfortunately he’s not worth much more than being a tall target to hit off a corner. 

5: So, I’m a little worried about this win. Hear me out. We’ve had thrilling late winners before. This might be the best of the bunch. We should celebrate. I have no problem winning a match like this. Sometimes you need a bit of magic. I’m very happy with the 3 points. Truthfully I was happy with a single point. But it can’t paper over the fact that we were not good in virtually every phase of the game and it took two Goalazos from a World Cup winner to get the win. Pineda has had time. We’ve had a full pre season. I still do not see what we are trying to do or who we are trying to be and that concerns me.

1: Luiz showed and has shown a lot so far. He looks like a more sure footed, confident version of himself. We’ve all known he has the technical skill but too often he hasn’t made the best decisions or trusted his abilities. That seems to have been corrected. The runs he’s made off the ball thus far, his control with the ball at his feet and the finishes he’s had, it’s all been at a level and quality that we’ve yet to see consistently. Let’s hope he can carry this over into the regular season. 

2: Party in the front, shaky in the back. All the defensive problems we had and goals we conceded were to be expected given that it was nowhere near the actual composition of what our backline will be. Lots of miscommunication or no communication at all. We also didn’t have Brad between the sticks barking out orders. I think we can also expect that in the regular season some of those spaces will be closed down a little more quickly. There were also a number of challenges that I think we’d get a bit more stuck into when it counts. No disrespect to the prestige of the AmFam but the primary objective tonight was don’t get hurt. Unfortunately…

3:  We got hurt. Caleb appears to be ok but that looked like a pretty serious knock he took to the head. Looks like Chol also did a hammy. Dude takes one shot and goes down. To be fair, he’s not really used to taking them. Not really sure what Pineda saw in him that made him want to experiment with him as a 9. Still, not biggest loss if he is out. No disrespect but he is a deep depth piece. 

4: With Chol coming out it gave Jackson the opportunity. I have some big hopes for him this year. He’s never really been able to stake his claim with the first team but with Josef gone, he really could see some minutes behind our new Greek God. He did have a pretty good year with 2’s despite the 2’s being pretty much near rock bottom of the table. But he just once again hasn’t shown much. He had a golden opportunity at the end and he just didn’t take it. He needs to use his size and strength to do better. 

5: Ajanni Fortune is one for the future. The kid is dripping in talent and he had a lovely little flick on assist. I would have actually like to have seen him have some more minutes but he was productive with the time he had. He’s been a rising star with the 2’s and I hope he can continue on that trajectory. 

A discussion, big picture, about the state of the USMNT. 

1: Fits and starts. I can not and have not been able to make heads or tails of this team this year and the quality of some of our performances. In our waking states we look ok, even pretty good at times. But we have not been able to maintain any sort of consistency for any extended period of time. 

Sometimes it works with this formation and that formation and this group of players and that group of players but then not again with those same players in the same formation. So then we make changes and that doesn’t work. Then we have a good outing against a quality opponent and shit the bed against a lesser opponent and then vice versa. My shoulders hurt from all the shrugging. 🤷‍♂️ 

2: Almada is such a technically gifted player. I hope next season goes differently for us because if he’s still here and if he’s playing in a system that suits his abilities, he could be one of those players that has a relatively short stint in MLS but is talked about for years. 

3: Next year will be very different with MLS going to Apple TV and Leagues Cup. I’m very excited about being able to watch every match no matter where I am. Being able to sync up local radio calls is also going to be a fantastic addition. At the same time as much as I’m thrilled to have the games moving away from Bally (who is truly awful) I’m going to really miss Mo, Jillian, and Kev on the broadcast. Im assuming Apple will have their own people but maybe they’ll recognize the value this team has brought over the years and bring them over. Leagues cup next summer is also gonna be great. I love the idea of having a month long tournament outside MLS for a trophy that could end up becoming really big. It’s an opportunity to grow the league and for teams and players to test themselves against opponents they would regularly never see. It’s also a chance for casual MLS viewers to be exposed to more of what the beautiful game has to offer. 

4: Joe stays. His time will come to an end but I don’t think anyone, least of all him, wants it to end like this. He has a year left on his contract and an option. Play it out. Move on from Luiz, and keep Thiago if you can, and then let’s see if whoever comes in compliments him well and maybe he can get back to his old form or close to it. If it doesn’t come off next year, we’re in for a full on reboot anyhow so I say let’s wait till then, even if that may mean risking another year of pain. I think the potential reward is worth it. 

5: It was nice to see and hear from Guz at the end. My lord how we have missed him, Miles and Ozzie this year. Of all the things that hurt us this year, not having veteran leadership on the pitch game in and game out hurt the most. 

1: Really poor goal keeping from Gudino on the first goal. It was clumsy to give away the penalty and then really poor on the penalty kick itself. It’s usually always 50/50 on PK’s but he was already well off his line and diving right before the ball was even struck. It was gifted. 

2: Almada was doing everything he could to win this game for Atlanta. Anytime we posed a threat it was generally off a through ball from him or some lovely piece of dribbling. Apart from that, the attack was disjointed at best. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for him. I’m sure the club would love to hang on to him for another season but big European clubs will undoubtedly be picking up the phone. 

3: Sosa had a good individual game but that’s been a consistent them this season. Individual standout performances but not a consistent team performance consistently enough. Still, I thought he was good in his play, connected most of his passes and was aggressive in his duels which overall was severely lacking throughout the rest of the team. 

4: With that Goalazo and his late season performances in general, Josef will give Pineda and the FO something to ponder. I disagree with Pineda’s choice not to start Josef today. For me, you play the hot hand. Josef has looked better and he’s coming off scoring for his country. You start him. It’s definitely a question that Pineda will face as far as why he didn’t. Josef made answering it that much more difficult. 

5: The more concerning thing for me over the course of this season has not been the amount of losses, but rather the performances that went along with them. I want to win as often as possible but I don’t have an issue with losing to a better team after a good performance. Too often our losses haw showcased a really really poor performance. Today was no different. 

1: First half was very much the story of the season. The first half of the season anyhow. We were in complete control of the match. Quality chances created. Couldn’t find a goal. Even with a PK chance. The team did look better and more cohesive with Dwyer up top and Araujo more out wide. Luiz even looked better tonight, even with missing the PK. Why is that? Does it have something to do with Josef not being there? We could speculate all day, but to my eyes, we looked like more a unit today than we have in any prior match for a long time. 

2: Gudiño is not comfortable with the ball at his feet at all. Unless he’s got time and is under no pressure, his distribution isn’t great. He just kinda hacked at the ball the few times he was under some pressure. It’s a problem and not someone we will probably be able to look to long term unless we completely change the way we play and become a team that wants to play direct and hit on the counter. 

3: Help us Obi-Juan, you’re our only hope. The first player to hit a hatty with his head in this league since 2010. What an addition he’s been to this team. For all the criticisms the FO gets, some justified, some not, credit has to be given when they get things right. He’s one they’ve gotten right. When people talk about “wiping the slate clean” you really wanna get rid of players like him? 🤷‍♂️ I think we thought he’d be a solid presence in the back and offer up some much needed leadership but I don’t know if we expected him to be the aerial threat that he is. That’s a great weapon to have. If it’s not going our way and we’re finding chances hard to come by, let’s take the ball down and win some corners and give him a chance to go up and win it. 

4: I really really like Mosquera. I’d like to see what we can do as a starter. He’s bringing that intense 20 minute injury, fighting for every ball using his insane speed. Could he spread that out over 90? Is he better suited in that Jake Mulraney super sub type role? Something tells me he’s got a bit more to give and good potentially be a really vital component of this team going forward into next year. 

5: This was good. Is it too late? Mathematically no. Realistically? I still think it’s too steep a mountain to climb. Tonight gets us a little purchase on the playoff chase slope, but the incline certainly gets steeper than Toronto. Toronto was also missing several key players. So, another good performance against a less than great team. Now we have to go on a run the likes of which we haven’t seen 2019.