Atlanta United Experiences Worst Start in Club History
- Nyle Farooqui '25
- Apr 18
- 3 min read
It was a beautiful Saturday with the sun shining and 41,879 Atlanta fans in attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium who were hoping for an important three points against the New England Revolution. The stars were also out on display as U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino and hip hop star Metro Boomin were in attendance.
However, the day ended with an outcome that nobody in Atlanta desired as Atlanta United ended their three match homestead with a 1-0 loss against New England Revolution. The loss to New England marked Atlanta’s worst start to a season in club history with 2W-3T-3L in eight matches played.
A Short Lead
Atlanta United thought that they had taken the lead against the Revs after a powerful long-range strike from star player Miguel Almirón in the twenty-seventh minute. The fans roared and Miguel Almirón emphatically celebrated as he jumped for joy and punched his fist against the air. The special moment ended up being short-lived as the on-field referee deemed the goal to be offside after a lengthy replay check of the goal from the video assistant referee (VAR).
Boos echoed across the stadium from the fans and Almirón was left in disbelief as an important goal was taken away from Atlanta.
The Downhill Slope
After the Five Stripes’ goal was called off by the VAR, the match became a downhill slope for the team. New England was awarded a penalty in the thirty-fourth minute after a foul in the box from Atlanta United striker Latte Lath. NE star player Carles Gil scored from the penalty spot to give his side the lead and the game winning goal. Just a couple of minutes before the penalty, Atlanta thought that they had the lead. Yet, the tables quickly turned.
Atlanta had several opportunities to turn their fortunes around as they created many goal scoring chances. Their xG (expected goals) was 2.21 compared to NE’s 1.69. Atlanta striker Jamal Thiare was inches away from scoring the equalizing goal as he headed the ball off the post after a great cross from playmaker Alexey Miranchuk.
Yet, Atlanta was not able to capitalize on the chances they created. Atlanta’s inability to score goals has been a trend since the beginning of the season and something they will need to resolve if they want to get better results. “The main thing is just putting the ball in the back of the net. It’s a team thing that we all need to work on”, said Atlanta United midfielder Jay Fortune.
Final Thoughts
Coming to this season, there was lots of optimism surrounding Atlanta United. They spent a reported $32 million during the winter transfer window to sign Ivory Coast striker Latte Lath from English Championship side Middlesborough FC for a reported $22 million league record transfer fee. Additionally, beloved Atlanta United star Miguel Almirón was brought back after spending 7 years playing for Premier League side Newcastle United. Leadership changes were also made as Ronny Deila was brought in as Atlanta’s new head coach and experienced MLS executive Chris Henderson was brought in as the new Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director.
The incredible amount of talented players that Atlanta United recruited during the offseason came with expectations. The expectation leading up to the season from fans, the club, and even national media was that Atlanta would be a team that can compete for trophies. Yet, they are instead in eleventh place in the Eastern Conference and struggling to perform up to their greatest potential.
The Five Stripes have to be able to find ways to win to get back on track. “If we want to be successful in the league, we have to be able to win at home and on the road”, said Atlanta United midfielder Jay Fortune. Ronny Deila’s side needs to be able to find solutions to their problems as they now face two difficult road matches against Philadelphia Union on April 19 and Orlando City on April 26.
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