The Union fell 2-0 to on Haris Medunjanin’s return to the lineup. 17,025 Philly fans were treated to a tight battle as their side gave the Eastern Conference leaders all they could handle but failed to provide the finishing touch to their chances in Talen Energy Stadium Saturday evening.
An exciting first half unfolded with both teams pushing numbers forward and looking to open the scoring early. Seven minutes in, Atlanta’s star striker Josef Martinez dispossessed Auston Trusty deep on the left, but his centering pass was cut out by an alert Mark McKenzie.
Five minutes later, Martinez chested a Brad Guzan goal kick into Miguel Almiron’s path and the Paraguayan attacker took off at incredible speed up the pitch. WIth Ale Bedoya in hot pursuit, Almiron cut toward the center of the box and laced a shot to Andre Blake’s left. The Union goal stretched to push the ball wide of goal.
In the 15th minute, Blake’s excellent quick restart released Fafa Picault up the left. The winger got deep and centered for CJ Sapong but he couldn’t win the aerial battle to knock it home.
Picault continued causing problems in the 18th minute when he beat Michael Parkhurst to a 50-50 near midfield and looked set to take off. The veteran defender hauled Picault down and took a yellow card for his troubles.
McKenzie earned his own caution in the 21st minute when he cleaned out expensive teenager Ezequiel Barco at the top of the Union box following a turnover in midfield by Haris Medunjanin.
The teams began to figure each other out and the final pass was hard to come by. But in the 32nd minute, Picault got to the endline and stood the ball up at the back post for Bedoya, but the captain’s shot fell narrow of the near post.
Although the Union looked the stronger of the two sides, Atlanta had too much talent to be dormant for long. In the 38th minute, Barco slipped free on the left and drove in on Blake alone. McKenzie and Keegan Rosenberry hustled to recover and both slid in front of goal to block the teenager’s shot when the winger cut to his right.
Three minutes later, Philly’s best chance of the half came through Rosenberry’s smart defense. The fullback stepped in front of a pass to Barco and drove toward Atlanta’s goal with the defense retreating. He cut the ball centrally to Borek Dockal who curled a first time shot toward the top right corner of Guzan’s goal. As the crowd held its collective breath, the ball spun just over the net.
It was heart in mouth time for Union fans as the half closed, however. A turnover in midfield handed the ball to Almiron with space to quickly pick out Martinez behind the defense. Blake flew out off his line and spread his body to smother the MLS leading scorer’s fiery strike and preserve the even scoreline heading into halftime.
Early in the second half, Atlanta nearly got a lucky goal off a set piece. Barco’s long free kick on the eft was touched by Leandro Gonzalez’s toe and changed direction at the last moment, but Blake dropped quickly to push it away. In the 52nd minute, the Union responded through Ilsinho. The Brazilian danced up the right and cut back for Rosenberry to hit a lefty shot that Guzan pushed away and then smothered.
Bedoya was the creator of a great chance in the 55th when he touched a Rosenberry pass around Gonzalez Pirez then spun and freed himself up the right. A perfect cutback found Dockal driving into the box but his first timer from in close went over the net.
READ: TAKEAWAYS FROM LOSS TO ATL
That miss would prove costly when, in the 58th minute, Almiron was released through the left channel alone. Few in MLS are faster with the ball, and the attacker touched the ball past a charging Blake and fell, drawing a penalty that Martinez, as he did twice last time these teams met, dispatched with aplomb.
As the match opened up, Barco found himself free on the left after a great driving run up the right was dummied through the center. Once again, Blake came out quickly and blocked the chance away, undeterred by the penalty he had just given up.
Cory Burke entered for Sapong in the 63rd minute and six minutes later put a header straight at Guzan. Ilsinho stood up his defender and touched the ball to Dockal near the endline. The Czech playmaker lifted a soft cross into the center for Burke but he could only hit it straight at Atlanta’s goalie.
Once again, Atlanta’s response was a dagger. Almiron collected the ball in space on the left, played it to Martinez’s feet, and make a run into the box that the striker found. The Paraguayan was alert enough to touch a square ball to Hector Villalba on the right and he finished into an empty goal.
In the 86th minute, Atlanta pushed again. But when Almiron turned a fine shot at Blake, the goalie dove to push the ball away. Martinez was first to it, however, but his shot was uncharacteristically wide.
The Union will look to rebound on Wednesday night when they travel to face Chicago Fire at 8:30 PM EST.
