MLS: Atlanta United Undone by Marco Reus, Fall 2-1 to LA Galaxy
- Calum Ewing
- 46 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Credit: Atlanta United
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
Atlanta, GA - After over seventy minutes of domination, LA Galaxy supersub Marco Reus exposed Atlanta’s backline, creating two goals for Gabriel Pec and coming from behind to win 2-1 over Atlanta United Saturday night.
Only two changes were made to Tata Martino’s starting 11 that won 3-1 against CF Montreal last weekend. Elias Baez returned as the starting left back in place of Pedro Amador, while Juan Berrocal gave Enea Mihaj a rest as the starting centerback next to Stian Gregersen. The midfield trio of Tristan Muyumba, Cooper Sanchez, and Matias Galarza were in good form coming into the match, along with the attacking trio in front of them, Saba Lobjanidze, Emmanuel Latte Lath, and Alexey Miranchuk. Saba scored his first goals for the club since 2024 with a brace against Montreal, Latte Lath scored his first in over two months, and Miranchuk added 2 assists to a growing tally of goal contributions in another brilliant performance.
Another Miranchuk masterclass would likely be needed if three points were to be taken off the Los Angeles Galaxy. The club had average results on the year, sitting at 3-3-4 and bowing out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in the quarterfinals, but were coming off two strong results, a draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps and a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake. They boasted a dangerous starting 11 even in the absence of star forward Joao Klauss due to injury, as Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pac led the frontline, Jakob Glesnes held down the backline, and Bourissia Dortmund legend Marco Reus was waiting patiently on the bench as a midfield-controlling super sub. The Galaxy had historically failed to win or even score a goal in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but only in two tries, and they won the last two matchups against Atlanta 2-0 in 2024 and 2022.
The first dangerous opportunity for either side came in the 7th minute, when Joseph Paintsil ran behind the backline (while staying onside) to receive a ball in the left flank. With one big touch, he blew past Stian Gregersen, but as he drove on the end line towards the near post, Gregersen used his arms to get back in front of the Galaxy star and clear the ball for a corner.
The next ten minutes were a tactical battle between the sides, desperate to break through the significant numbers packed behind the ball. Both teams would break into the final third often, just lacking the finished product against solid defending. The best chance for Atlanta came from a Saba volley controlled first by his chest that pulled wide left, while the Galaxy’s best chance came off a corner when Gregersen’s header attempting to clear went back centrally allowing for a header of their own, but it was held by Hoyos.
In the 19th minute, a brilliant cross from the left hand side dropped at the feet of Latte Lath in the box, but a terrible first touch saw the opportunity fade away. However, just a minute later, Saba Lobjanidze found space to drive into the box from the left. Cutting inside right, his effort was stopped by an impressive diving save from JT Marcinkowski, pushing the ball around the right post.
As the next 15 minutes came and went, with a back and forth of possession and occassional half-chances, Atlanta United started to pick up a flurry of yellow cards. Cooper Sanchez and Juan Berrocal both had fouled Galaxy players, but were given yellow cards on calls nowhere near that level of severity. Soon afterwards, when Emmanuel Latte Lath clashed heads with a Galaxy defender and was hit in the back, stopping a promising attack because of concussion protocol, no yellow was shown, resulting in nearly every Atlanta player on the field running to the ref and pleading for a card. The fans in the stadium, in what was already a much more full stadium when compared to other home matches thanks to recent results, were just as loud of the players on the field with boos and jeers.
Finally, Atlanta United seemed to have their breakthrough in the 41st minute. Juan Berrocal met the ball off a corner at the backpost, powering it home into the top right corner. However, after much protest from the Galaxy while the home team celebrated, the ref seemed to quietly call the play back for a foul in the center of the six-yard box. Watching the play back, Matias Galarza positioned himself in front of the keeper, making minimal contact as the cross came in. However, goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski lowered himself to the ground and raised his arms in protest, allegedly being “prevented” from making a save. Although he never would have gotten to the ball, seemingly was not fouled, and VAR recommended that the referee go to the monitor and review the play, center official Fotis Bazakos chose to stick with his call on the field.
In showing the flaw of VAR that gives the referee leeway to go to the monitor, Atlanta were stripped of a rightful lead, and went into the half knotted in a scoreless draw.
After two straight MLS games with a goal in the first five minutes of the second half, the Five Stripes looked to make it three in the 47th minute when a ball deflected to Alexey Miranchuk, allowing him to play through Saba Lobjanidze in the right flank. While he had the chance to hit a first time shot 1v1 against the goalkeeper, Saba instead took a touch and tried a ball across the box, only for it to be blocked.
The home side thought they had another breakthrough in the 55th minute when Miranchuk played through the lines to Latte Lath, putting him 1v1 with the keeper and resulting in a finish through his legs for the goal. However, the DP forward had little awareness of his positioning and was miles offside when played the ball, igniting a loud groan from the press box.
In the 61st minute, Tomas Jacob nearly took the roof off the building. After Elias Baez played a long ball across the field from left to right, Jacob hit a first-time volley from the top right corner of the box that whizzed past defenders and curled towards goal, clanking off the post and bouncing wide.
During this flurry of chances for Atlanta, the Galaxy occasionally created danger. Paintsil nearly got to the end of a through ball after a Galarza turnover early in the half, just for Hoyos to slide and have the ball pop up to safety. One bouncing effort from the top of the box curled wide left, while another header at the back post from a corner floated over the bar. With 25 minutes to go and in hope of a spark, Marco Reus subbed into the match for LA, nearly scoring two minutes later when played a ball in between the Atlanta backline if not for an extremely heavy touch.
The momentum did not swing because of his sub, however. Saba Time was nearly back again a few minutes later as he got onto the end of a flicked Latte Lath header, having his effort deflected into the chest of the goalkeeper. Then, in the 69th minute, Ajani Fortune drove from the left channel past two LA Galaxy defenders to the top of the box, ripping a strike that curled into the bottom right corner.
Cue limbs.
Atlanta’s young midfielder had taken it himself, giving the club a deserved 1-0 lead! Alexey Miranchuk nearly scored a minute later on a counter attack started by Cooper Sanchez. When played the ball in the right side of the box, his effort went just wide of the right post. It seemed a second goal was all but confirmed in this match, and yet it turned out to be for the Galaxy in the 74th minute. After Muyumba lost the ball in the final third, a quick counter attack started and Marco Reus played Gabriel Pec into space at right wing. Defender Elias Baez had stepped too close to the ball from Reus and found himself in prime position to get beat for speed, resulting in Pec driving past, striking the ball past Hoyos into the bottom left corner, and equalizing the match at 1-1 in what was the Galaxy’s only real chance of the match.
It seemed Marco Reus was going to spark the Galaxy, after all. In the 79th minute, the midfielder drove behind the shoulders of Juan Berrocal into a gap of space left by the Atlanta centerback, driving to the end line before cutting it back to an unmarked Gabriel Pec in the box. His initial effort was saved by a diving Hoyos off his chest, but as the goalkeeper failed to claim it alongside the diving Jacob and Gregersen on the ground, Pec ran in for the tap-in and the improbable 2-1 lead. The vibrant roar of the Atlanta crowd that had rained just eight minutes prior was replaced by a void of shock, and the roughly thirty Galaxy fans under the press box started chanting for the first time all match.
Atlanta had to commit numbers forward for an equalizer, leaving them exposed to Galaxy counterattacks when losing the ball in the midfield. On one, Gabriel Pac got off a shot from the right side of the box in a 4v2 that Hoyos seemingly tipped over the bar, while on another (called back for offside), Paintsil’s shot from the left side was saved by Hoyos’ outstretched right arm. His heroics to keep the club in the match meant nothing, however, as Atlanta’s attack failed to create any more opportunities, and the Galaxy took their first ever win home from Mercades-Benz Stadium.
Painstakingly, Atlanta United fell to 3-1-8 on the season, four points off the playoffs and 13th in the Eastern Conference. A win would have seen them one point off the playoffs and alone in 10th. Their next match will be against fellow bottom-dwellers and rivals Orlando City SC, away from home on May 16 at 7:30pm.
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