Was worried Atlanta would give up a set piece goal near the end on that RB free kick, which would've sucked since there's no way that was a foul on Franco. Atlanta has done really well pressuring RB ball handlers in the middle of the pitch. Very reminiscent of the Stripes' better days, forcing turnovers and pushing the attack. Had at least 3-4 crosses that were just a foot too far or high.
F***. 0-1 RB. Very nice shot off the volley on that corner. That's all on Brad Guzan. His goal kick went right to RB and produced the shot that led to the corner.
Glass and Guz want an interference all but I'm not giving it. Guzan made a play for the ball and couldn't reach it.
Stripes can't lose their composure. Plenty of time left and they've shown potential. Gallagher should've passed to Damm there.
65' and Mulraney gets a yellow after a bad giveaway. Atlanta not winning the 50/50 balls the way they did in first half, and RB now playing with more intent. Hoping this doesn't become a case of Atlanta regretting lost opportunities in 1st half.
70' Wycke and Adams on for Damm and Hyndman. And now the lack of depth is starting to catch up to Atlanta.
76' and Hyndman (who apparently is still on) sends a shot over the top. Atlanta working hard but lacking the quality right now.
Larentowicz went for a quick restart on a free kick. Royer and another RB crowd around him and poke at it/slow him down, and Jeff pushes Royer away. Handbags from there.
FT: 0-1 RB steal the match in a sense. Or, more simply, Atlanta again fall victim to their own errors.
So Atlanta controlled the match when it was their best against the RB's B side. Atlanta failed to convert their chances, RB snatch a goal and then move into classic shut down mode. RB subs in talent as Atlanta subs out theirs. Second half Atlanta never seemed near the second ball. Every header or 50/50 seemingly found its way to a RB player, and they're good enough to play keep away.
The good news is we saw the potential of what could happen when Moreno, Damm, and eventually Josef are available for 90 mins per. The bad news is we're gonna have to sit on our hands until that day comes, cause it will be a while. The ugly side is that Atlanta needs a solid D-mid, or somehow chemically shave 5 years off Larentowicz. Once Atlanta's playmakers departed and Atlanta was searching for a way back into the match the midfield was all over the place and just abysmal in their coverage.
This. It was so frustrating knowing Atlanta had so many chances but just couldn't finish. As much as I want to lay that at the feet of bad luck, Atlanta's youth, whatever, I have to give some credit to RB's defense, as that's been their forte for about a decade now. In hindsight I wonder if they should've started Jahn and had Gallagher come off the bench at half time. Maybe the taller guy reaches one of those crosses, or maybe Gallagher's speed make a difference in the 2nd half.
Draw a line straight from Guzan's eyes to the ball. No one in between it. Offside attacker had zero impact on his reaction time or vision of the shot. His dive was immediate. Standing close by doesn't mean interfering with an opponent. Glad to see there are some other rational ATL fans. The comments online are funny, as were our hometown announcers that try to use LOTG terminology but don't understand the words they are saying.
The TV guys are definitely homers but at least they're passionate and knowledgeable. Compared to some broadcasts for other MLS teams they're a grade A lot, you just have to take those few commentaries with a grain of salt. One wonders if they're primed to do that by the club in order to build hype or if they genuinely feel that way?
Oh don't get me wrong, I think our broadcast team is amazing. I don't have time to watch many other games to compare to other local broadcasters but I prefer our games on the local channel rather than listening to that idiot Twellman. If we're on ESPN I usually mute the TV and listen to the radio broadcast. But I would definitely say hyping the team is in their contract. I was just harping on their LOTG interpretation.
I like ours a lot, and I've grown to like Shep for the Red Bulls (his Yankee accent used to grate on my nerves). FC Dallas also has a good team in the booth. I haven't listened to many others, but the highlights for DC United are god-awful. "It's inthenet! It's inthenet! It's inthenet!" Luckily, they don't score much.