Atlanta United created often but couldn't find a breakthrough in a 0-0 draw with New York Red Bulls Saturday night. The 5-Stripes made strides in attack and defense and registered the better of the chances despite seeing less of the ball.
The anticipation was building throughout the entire match. The 17s in the stands grew louder by the minute, and Atlanta showed a willingness to drive the ball forward in the face of a heavy New York press. Tensions were boiling over until the last minute, and points were shared between the two Eastern Conference teams.
Final Score: Atlanta United 0, New York Red Bulls 0
What happened: In a game where there were plenty of chances to score either way, two in the second half defined the result. Red Bulls came across what may have been the best chance of the day in the 65th minute, as the ball bounced around in the box and found center back Noah Eile with just Brad Guzan to beat. His shot soared over the frame of the goal from just a few yards out.
Then, in the 80th minute, Miguel Almirón got on the end of a looping through ball. From a tough angle, his shot couldn't find the frame. Almirón was the driving force of the game for Atlanta United. He played 86 minutes and had his hands in nearly every attack.
The defense for Atlanta United, which had given up two goals in its previous two matches, pitched a shutout and did not allow a single shot on target all match long. The organization was much better, and efforts from individuals filled in the gaps when things looked shaky.
It was a cagey start, but Atlanta showed initiative after settling in. The second balls that head coach Ronny Deila had been emphasizing so heavily were going their way. Atlanta's attacking chemistry, a point of emphasis this week in training, was noticeably improved. They managed a couple of tiki-taka sequences, one which resulted Alexey Miranchuk's shot being saved in the 14th minute after the 5-Stripes switched play and whipped the ball into the box.
The two squads shared spells of possession, as Atlanta looked to beat the New York press at varying speeds. Sometimes it was intricate passing, other times one long through ball, trying to keep Red Bulls' high line honest. And it was a very high line at that — most of the time the New York defenders were stationed at nearly the halfway line.
Both teams were feisty early on, putting in crunching tackles to stop any chance of counter. MLS newcomer Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting took a huge hit from Derrick Williams as the Atlanta United center back slid to clear the ball in the 11th minute. A clean tackle, but it left a mark. Omar Valencia brought down Stian Gregersen to prevent his run up the right hand side.
Matt Edwards, in just his third career MLS start, was the common denominator in Atlanta United's first half chances. The ball always seemed to find him in space on the right side of the pitch. He put a couple more dangerous balls accross the face of goal, but his forwards weren't able to get on the end of them. That was until the 18th minute, when Edwards collected a second ball and found Emmanuel Latte Lath for an open header which forced a good save from Carlos Coronel.
Coronel had himself day, denying Atlanta United with seven saves every which way. Edwards himself nearly got on the score sheet from a corner in the 30th minute, but Coronel was well positioned to make the stop.
When Red Bulls did string together possession for minutes at a time, they couldn't find their way through. And Atlanta was eager to get out and run on the counter, with Almirón and Latte Lath leading the charge.
Latte Lath was active for much of the first half, but he took a huge hit to the head when going up for a clearance in the 40th minute that forced him out of the game for a few minutes. Incredibly, he hopped back out onto the pitch in the 43rd minute and kept chugging for 67 minutes before being subbed off.
Pedro Amador made his return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the preseason and Atlanta United's first two games. He started the match and played a full 90 minutes, making a couple of clutch last-ditch slide tackles that kept the 5-Stripes stable.
Key stat: Chance creation
Despite Red Bulls doing more of the passing and possessing, Atlanta United had the receipts in terms of final output. Shots, shots on target and expected goals all favored the 5-Stripes. It's a sign that the attacking chemistry is coming along. With the speed and creativity of players like Latte Lath, Almirón and Saba, it feels only a matter of time until they have a scoring outburst like on the first matchday of the season.
Team | Shots | Shots on target | Expected Goals |
Atlanta United | 11 | 7 | 1.6 |
Red Bulls | 5 | 0 | 0.6 |
Standouts: Tristan Muyumba and Bartosz Slisz
It's no secret that Deila askes a lot of his 6s, the two midfielders in the double pivot. They're tasked with winning balls in the middle of the pitch, being defensive cover for overlapping fullbacks, initiating attacks with interplay and more. Bartosz Slisz and Tristan Muyumba, a duo who had yet to start together on the season, were vital. The two were patient on the ball and fierce when winning it back. Slisz in particular had zero fear charging in to make a play on the ball.
Muyumba's success proved even further just how much depth this Atlanta United team has. He's the fourth player to start in the defensive midfield for Deila this season, and all four of them have shown a command of the game in one way or another. Slisz has started every game, while Mateusz Klich, Jay Fortune and now Muyumba have each earned one start and shown their own skill sets.
It bears repeating: this role is demanding. Deila is pleased he has four players who he feels comfortable sending out there, especially for when the season bears down on legs. Slisz has already played three full matches to start the season, not missing a single minute.
Milestones:
- Tristan Muyumba made his first start of the 2025 season.
- Forward Cayman Togashi made his first apperance for Atlanta United, replacing Saba Lobjanidze in the 76th minute.
Up next:
Atlanta United is just beginning its lengthy homestand, with four of their next five matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Next up for the 5-Stripes is a marquee matchup, a rematch of the dramatic MLS Cup Round One Best-of-Three series against Inter Miami. It'll be a Sunday Night Football fixture in ATL, as the teams will square off for the first time since the 5-Stripes upset the No. 1 seeded Miami last season. The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 16.
