Atlanta United 1-2 New York Red Bulls: Recap, Rate and React

Final Whistle Recap and Thoughts

What was shaping up to be a momentous three points for Atlanta United turned to dust in the final 10 minutes at Red Bull Arena Thursday night as Atlanta conded two quick goals in the late stages to leave the match empty handed.

It’s a bitter disappointment, no doubt about it. After a poor performance over the weekend in Toronto, securing the 1-0 lead and taking three points Thursday might have been some of the unlikeliest in recent memory considering the Red Bulls sit tied atop the Eastern Conference table.

To add to the doubt coming into the match, Atlanta United had never scored a goal in Red Bull Arena in club history. That was until Josef Martinez tapped one home from close range in the 75th minute.

And then, pain.

The loss leaves Atlanta languishing in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, though the team are packed tightly and Atlanta has games in hand on several teams.

I’ll leave this with one silver lining, which is that Atlanta may have found a tactical setup that will work for them going forward. Gonzalo Pineda deployed a back 3 for the first time this season, and it worked extraordinarily well. With Juanjo Purata and Raul Gudiño set to join after the NYCFC game to come, with Thiago Almada now back from his suspension, and other players getting in better shape, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s just hard to see in this damn darkness.

Instead of giving you our full player ratings now, we’ll get your reactions first. Below is a ratings form for you to fill out with how you rate each Atlanta United player’s performance. Feel free to head down to the comments section and leave your thoughts on the match as a whole or give your detailed explanation of your ratings. You can view the results by clicking to see previous responses after voting. Our ratings will be out shortly.

Here’s a mobile-friendly link to the ballot. The in-post ballot only works on desktop due to issues out of my control.