Final Whistle Recap and Thoughts
Atlanta United scored two early goals on the road in it’s US Open Cup Round of 32 match against Nashville SC, but collapsed in the second half, ultimately losing 2-3 after extra time.
Thiago Almada opened the scoring on a nicely worked counter attacking goal from Gonzalo Pineda’s mostly unchanged side (except for Miles of course, rest his soul).
But Atlanta’s second goal really stole the show, as Luiz Araujo put on display his unmatched technique and skill to roast Walker Zimmerman and finish with a flourish.
The second half was a totally different story. Nashville quickly got one back after the break, and then in the final ten minutes, Atlanta caught a massive break on what was clearly a good goal by Nashville. But, as we now know thanks to the announcer, “BALL DONT LIE” and Nashville’s continuous onslaught proved enough to push the game to extra time. Momentum never turned around in the added minutes, and Nashville found the third goal they needed to secure the win and advance to the quarterfinals.
Sadly, Atlanta lost Andrew Gutman in this one, who left in the second half after coming down hard on his shoulder. He walked off very gingerly holding his right arm, and it seems likely he has a serious shoulder or collarbone injury. Which is just great.
Instead of giving you our full player ratings now, we’ll get your reactions first. Below is a ratings form for you to fill out with how you rate each Atlanta United player’s performance. Feel free to head down to the comments section and leave your thoughts on the match as a whole or give your detailed explanation of your ratings. You can view the results by clicking to see previous responses after voting. Our ratings will be out shortly.
Here’s a mobile-friendly link to the ballot. The in-post ballot only works on desktop due to issues out of my control.