Recap: FC Dallas – 2, Atlanta United – 1

Atlanta, Ga. – Despite their best home performance of the year, Atlanta United is still waiting for their first home win in 2019, after FC Dallas capitalized on two huge opportunities and withstood a barrage of Atlanta attempts.

Things that happened in the game that was played

It took six minutes for everything to be bad again.

Atlanta finishes half with 70% possession. So it was good.

And really the team looked better. The five bands created chances. No luck in percentage but chances anyway. At the very least, the first half had energy, which was clearly absent in the first two home games.

Unfortunately, the results remain the same.

Atlanta accumulated goal after game, but Jesse Gonzalez made a backup after a backup. Finally, Dallas has found an opportunity. They did not waste it.

In the end, Josef scored the saddest penalty in the history of Atlanta United to score 2-1.

Atlanta United finished with 22 shots – its highest total of the season – and 72.2% of ball possession, 8.8% lower than its highest total of the season.

Recap: So … Frank de Boer could be cursed at all.

It was not bad.

No wait, come back, I'm serious.

Everything looked crispy. The intensity has reached the level it should be. The tactic was not wrong. Atlanta has created opportunities. And a decent chance at that. If you were in the camp "Give the time to FdB", I think tonight you pushed the needle slightly towards you. If you think otherwise … well, honestly, I do not blame you, it's afraid of being on the wrong side of the dashboard.

But if you criticize the fact that the team showed no sense of direction or identity, the last two games have been a blow to this idea. Tonight is as close to the ideal match of Frank de Boer as this team has been by a substantial margin. But two mistakes killed everything. And those are not excusable. But they are repairable.

"I can certainly say that we were the most dangerous of the year. I can say we played well as a team tonight too, "Jeff Larentowicz said. "But, as in the past, we can not be so naïve with some of the teams we play against. They came up with a game plan and they performed and give that goal in the second half … the word is not unlucky. "

The word might not be unlucky. But it is not prepared either.

"What happened today, we worked this week. We made several transition days behind the ball. A team like Dallas would try to break us. But we were prepared, "said Larentowicz. "A step here, a step there, a very good ball, a very good race, a very good goal, sometimes we get beaten. We were prepared. In the future, I think you are taking a lot of positives and that the goalkeeper will end up not having a remarkable game. "

And the goalkeeper had a remarkable game. Jesse Gonzalez was eliminated by Zack Steffen in Atlanta. It happens. Nobody will feel good leaving the stadium tonight. But that does not detract from the first suspicions of optimism that the Five Stripes have had this year.

"I think we have really made progress today in the way we play. I told the team, I can not wait for you anymore. I can say not to concede goals of course, but you have created chances. You dominated. You play well, "said de Boer.

"If you play like that for 30 games, you'll win 28. I think we took two steps forward today, not with the result, I'm very disappointed, but I was proud of it. intensity and the way we played. "

To defend the devil's advocate, even with the acquired optimism, there are still many negative points. If Atlanta does not give up on the first run, does Dallas allow that? Chances? Probably not. In addition to that, Dallas' second goal gave Mercedes-Benz Stadium a more Chicago Fire look than Atlanta United. It looked like that too. For the players, it's as disappointing as anything.

"We created chances. But we are disappointed, "said Michael Parkhurst. "We explained how important it was to win and perform well in front of our fans and not take for granted their support and diligence. They are here to see us play well and see us win. We want to win. It's disappointing tonight.

Atlanta has a chance to bounce back next Saturday. In the same building. And if they play the same way today against Colorado, it's not crazy to take the first home win of the year. If some things are just going in the direction of the five bands, this time around.

As FdB said: "Sometimes football is unfair. And maybe that was for us today.

OR.

And I'm just throw this here …

DSS Man of the match

Zeeeekeee.

FdB said tonight is as good as he saw Barco, including the splint last week. He shot at least six fouls from our account and appeared threatening all night. An easy choice.

The Larentowicz Man of the Match

JEFF LARENTOWICZ WINS HIS OWN GOT DANG AWARD OF THE ABSOLUTE GOAT GOAT.

(He was good and will never look old no matter how much you think he will do it.)

Tweet of the night

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And after?

Atlanta United returns to the MBS next Saturday to face Colorado. The kickoff is scheduled for 18:00