Atlanta has given up 7 shots ON GOAL, and most of those have been open chances. If I had to guess that's a season high, which is not good.
2nd half starts. Ambrose off, Chol on. Lennon drops to right back and Hernandez slides over to the left
Argh. Lennon hurts his thigh and has to be subbed off. Campbell on now. At this point I'll be thrilled with a draw. Come on lads!
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80' 2-2 Poor marking sees Orlando to once again break through the defense and head home an equalizer.
Orlando has been dominating this half, and the end of the first half. We're lucky to only be tied 2-2. There's another goal in this game, though. Hopefully it's ours.
Well, at some point, we're gonna have to do more than cheer moral victories. I just don't know when that time's gonna come..
FT: 3-2 Atlanta score two great goals but are undone by fatigue, absences, and defensive lapses. I think Valentino's personnel decisions were off tonight. Ambrose was easily out classed while in, and once he had to be replaced it started a domino effect that saw the match end with three players having to play out of position. The response after Moreno's goal implied the players are happy, but the inability to manage the heat and the shifting Orlando attack meant the defensive roles remain unclear. Blessedly Barco, Robinson, and Bello return next week and should be available as early as next weekend. At the least it will mean added bodies, but when a full lineup starts it will mean a lot more pace and intent to push forward. Feel sorry for Kann, who played very well tonight as a shot stopper. Might have read the play better to gauge the cross and stop Orlando's 3rd but that's just an if. Otherwise he was great.
Next few matches are gonna be tough, so it might be a spell. Unless everyone returns, is healthy, and either Barco or a new signing provide more in attack. At this point I'm not about the playoffs but about showing definitive progress. Finish with a better record than last year, have more pieces of the puzzle sorted in the lineup, have a coach and roster that all buy in and get along, and come on late that we can take hope by walking away wondering what could have been if not for the injuries and absences.
Proud of Kann. Wondering if he'll continue to be given a chance to compete against Rios Novo (they didn't get him to stay with the 2s forever) when Guzan's time is up...
I was calling for Ambrose to get a runout and...yeah. He won't be seeing the pitch again unless in an emergency. This was the first game we really missed Miles and Bello. Lennon going down did not help either. Not sure what the plan will be going forward with Miles in the picture. Franco has been all right. I wouldn't mind a back three, which would let Bello and Lennon get forward more on the wings. Here's hoping Josef goes on a run. His and Moreno's shots were spectacular, but the club needs to start scoring some easier goals. You can't depend on wonderstrikes.
Looking back, I'm disappointed Atlanta didn't at least create more chances. No real reason they should have been more fatigued by the heat than Orlando, given the Stripes were able to practice in the same conditions, and while the roster had its absences so did Orlando's. The Lions haven't exactly been stalwarts on defense so I was counting on a bit more pressure. At least Atlanta too advantage of the shots they did make. One wonders if things might have played out differently had they been able to reach the half with a lead.