- Match: LAFC vs Atlanta United
- Location: Banc of California Stadium
- Date: July 26, 2019
- Final Score: LA 4-3 ATL (RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS)
Atlanta United head coach Frank de Boer
On the loss:
“We started very well. In 20 minutes, we threw away the game. We came back with the second goal from Josef (Martinez) at the end of the first half. I still think we weren’t in the game how we wanted to be. We have to win those duals, especially in the midfield. The second half we saw a totally different ATL United, a team that deserved at least one point. It was disappointing that we only reacted in the second half. It’s also positive that you dominated the second half against one of the best teams or maybe the best team.”
On the team’s focus:
“This is the first time we took the lead. Normally, when we are down, we’re not too strong like against Chicago (Fire). Today we came up front and were feeling okay. Today we were late every time. They could find a free man every time. [Carlos] Vela will always have a trap, but it was different in the second half because we put a lot of pressure, they couldn’t pass it easily to him. This is how we want to play but not just for 45 minutes.”
Atlanta United FC midfielder Julian Gressel
On the start of the game:
“I honestly think we got bullied in the first half. We couldn’t get a foot on the ball until the 35th minute. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror down 4-1, maybe they take their foot off the gas. It’s always poor starts for us in away games. That’s something we have to look at and change because you can’t win games giving up 4 goals on the road.”
Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan
On the overall match:
“We started off good in terms of getting the goal, making it difficult for them (LAFC) for a handful of minutes, then we gave them too much space, too much space and time and when you play good teams, good players they punish you, we were late everywhere on the pitch for a 25 minute spell, in those 25 minutes we got punished for goals and to be fair we clawed our way back and tried to make it difficult and make our way back into the game but to concede four goals to a team like this (LAFC) it is extremely difficult to find our way back in.”
On away matches this season:
“Home or away it doesn’t matter, I think it’s more, I want to be careful with what I say, it’s more a sense of understanding what is happening and when I say that I mean being able manage the game, manage the situation, for lack of a better term, we can’t piss the game away in 20 minutes. Again, the game was over in 20 minutes. We did really well to fight back, to show some intensity to find a way and give ourselves a change. In the second chance, we still had chances of course, that is going to happen when you’re pushing to score and pushing for an equalizer, but ultimately it wasn’t enough as good as we were in the second half. It means nothing as we walk away with zero points.”
LAFC head coach Bob Bradley
Takeaways from the match:
“Great win. We made it crazy at times. There are parts in there that we’re not too happy about. [It] was ridiculous in the first half to start slowly with no concentration to give up a goal right away. After 15 minutes, we really got things going well to get the 4-1. At the end of the half, we finished the same way we started the half, so that was crazy. Exciting win.”
