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Atlanta United was officially knocked out of the Concacaf Champions League at the hands of the Philadelphia Union Tuesday night, but at least they gave us a fun game to watch. Both teams created big chances in an end-to-end second leg.
Player Ratings
GK Brad Guzan 7: Guzan did well on a night where he was active on both sides. He was calm and precise distributing from his goal line, and did well to command the area.
LB George Bello 7: Bello seems to be growing in confidence every game, and gave a massive effort Tuesday night. Did tons of running up and down the left side and put his body on the line.
CB Miles Robinson 8: This is the kind of match where Robinson is the best center back in MLS. Chasing down strikers and marking them out of possession on counter attacks.
CB Anton Walkes 7: Was well connected to Robinson tactically, and was only slightly less effective because Robinson is the best athlete in the league.
RB Brooks Lennon 7: I feel like a broken record with Lennon, but it was another very good performance. He gives a massive effort every time out, and his decision-making is hugely improved from 2020.
DM Santiago Sosa 9 (Man of the Match): Absolute class. A heroic effort and performance. Sosa did everything from blocking shots with his face to curling in shots at the far post. He also had to do an immense amount of running.
CM Emerson Hyndman 6: Had some shaky moments where giveaways created chances going the other way. Wasn’t as sharp in general as we’ve seen at times this season, but he wasn’t a weak link either.
AM Marcelino Moreno 5: I would not have expected Atlanta to generally play as well as it did tonight while getting such little creation from Moreno. He was indecisive, took heavy touches, and gave the ball away easily. His best moments were some combinations in midfield that unlocked the team on a counter, but he offered little in the final third.
W Jake Mulraney 5: Mulraney’s best moments of the night were some moments in possession — not the direct chance creation one might expect. Like Hyndman, not his worst performance but not his best.
W Erik Lopez 6: Lopez’ first start of the season was a solid performance. He’s a much more versatile and technical attacker than Jurgen Damm, which seemed to fit the other pieces in the lineup much better.
ST Josef Martinez 6: A decent performance from Martinez, but ultimately not very involved. His best moments came when he dropped off the center backs and linked up with midfielders. Clearly not the same Josef we are used to, but he looks more confident in his knee every time we see him.
SUB: Cubo Torres 5: An improved performance from Torres versus the weekend match, but still a clear downgrade in the attack after his introduction. Very immobile.