Charlotte FC 0-3 Atlanta United, Illustrated Box Score - It’s coming home

It wasn’t even raining and Atlanta United wasn’t playing Houston at historic Bobby Dodd Stadium... but winning 3-0 against Charlotte FC felt like something. Maybe it’s because it’s been so rare to have positive emotions about Atlanta United in recent years, but I feel ways about stuff now.

In other words...

Do you remember pressing and scoring in transition? The last time Atlanta United did that Caleb Wiley was 14, but he’s a grown man now and is scoring goals in transition and is the youngest grown man along with Alphonso Davies and someone 20 years ago to earn three goal contributions in a half.

Luiz Araujo also made it seem like Atlanta United had four designated players again and Miles Robinson is making better passes than most of the no. 8s in the league. Quite simply, Thiago Almada was full of extra gravity particles in the game because Charlotte defenders seemingly moved toward him subconsciously and could never reach escape velocity to stop anything Wiley or Araujo managed to do to beat them.

The good thing is that the Charlotte box score looked how Atlanta’s box scores had been looking with loads of possession and loads of crosses and very few real chances.

Charlotte is entirely forgettable as an MLS team. They are like going to a bank, you go, it’s fine, whatever service you needed you get and then you leave and forget what the entire unremarkable experience was like.

The best news is that it’s coming home.