MLS: Tata Sees Red, Atlanta Seem Toothless in 1-3 Loss to Columbus Crew
- Calum Ewing
- 5 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Credit: Atlanta United
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On 404 Day, Atlanta United did not put out an encouraging product for their home fans. After a toothless first half for both sides, the Columbus Crew pulled away for a dominant 3-1 win that pushed the Five Stripes further down the Eastern Conference table.
Coming into the match, the Crew and Atlanta had a long and storied history. In 23 matches, Columbus came out winners in 13, Atlanta in 8, and only two draws. In the last 9 home matches for Atlanta, they averaged over two goals a game. The last matchup between the sides saw Columbus go up 5-0 in Mercadez Benz until the Five Stripes responded with 4 unanswered, still not enough to snag an improbable point. The Crew knocked out Atlanta in the 2023 and 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, and Atlanta knocked out the Crew in the 2019 US Open Cup they went onto hoist. With both teams struggling early on in the 2026 season (Atlanta were 1-1-3; Crew were 0-2-3) but possessing firepower and talent, this matchup was expected to be as intense and high-scoring as its predecessors.
Atlanta United made only two changes to their lineup from the scoreless draw against DC United before the international break, the first being Homegrown midfielder Will Reilly who stepped in for Matias Galarza, out sorting his visa. The second swap was Steven Alzate surprisingly sending Homegrown midfielder Cooper Sanchez to the bench after a few strong performances. Stian Gregersen, who now leads the league in clearances per match after his first two starts, led the backline with Mihaj, Baez, and Jacob. Tristan Muyumba joined Reilly and Alzate in the midfield, and Miguel Almiron highlighted the attack, with his 3 assists good for 2nd in MLS. However, he was still chasing for his first goal of the season after numerous opportunities.
From the kickoff, both sides struggled to break down each other’s defensive blocks. The Crew set up in a loose 4-4-2 that stated compact in the midfield and, once Atlanta was forced wide, sent numbers to press. United found some success when switching play quickly into unmarked space, or when Almiron dribbled into space centrally, but that was rare and the final pass was always missing to create chances. The Crew weren’t doing well against the Five Stripe’s Christmas tree defensive shape (4-3-2-1), but had a little more success finding space in the gaps left by the home side playing with a single-pivot number 6. This led to a 30-yard attempt from Malte Amundsen in the left channel curving wide right after 15 minutes. More space afforded out wide led to some additional chances, but most were cleared by Stian Gregersen and the best was a soft header from Rossi directly to Lucas Hoyos in goal.
In the 23rd minute, a low through ball from Columbus got in behind between Baez and Mihaj on the right side of the pitch. The ensuing cross deflected into space in the center of the box for Dylan Chambost to put an attempt on frame. He did not, sending the ball high over the bar, and the play was called back for offside anyway, but it was the best chance of the match to that point.
Atlanta’s first shot came in the 34th minute from Steven Alzate. Taking advantage of space centrally, he drove in between Columbus defenders before getting a shot off from just outside the box. The save was spilt by Patrick Schulte in goal but cleared before Miranchuk’s could reach it.
A few minutes later, a cross from the right side was dangerously whipped into the back post by Atlanta. After a light shove from Max Afsten, three Atlanta United players went down to the ground like dominoes, including Emmanuel Latte Lath. The referee rightly ruled that there was not enough force for a penalty to be awarded.
Thirty eight minutes in, Columbus put a well-hit effort towards the bottom left corner after a deflected corner, but Lucas Hoyos dove quickly to his right and held the ball. The following chance went Atlanta’s way after good buildup play, and Almiron’s first-time volley attempt from a Baez cross curled wide left. That would be the last chance of the first half, and both sides would enter the locker doom knotted at 0-0.
At this point, with 58% of possession and 91.5% passing accuracy (best since 2024), the home side had just 0.03 expected goals to the Crew’s 0.20, with two total shots and one on target. If they were going to grab a goal in this match, the midfield would have to dictate play faster. Tristan Muyumba found the right spaces, but passed the ball too slowly and often went backwards. Will Reilly was a bit off the pace for his season debut and gave away the ball multiple times in good areas durigj transition moments. Steven Alzate was doing his best Emerson Hyndman impression, being completely invisible. Simply put, their poor performances were limiting Atlanta’s strengths and ability to play effectively in transition to create attacks, and that would have to change.
However, only Columbus came out inspired to start the second half. In the 47th minute, a dangerous ball from Andres Herrera was let across the box by Gregersen, but Elias Baez cleared at the back post. Just one minute later, Max Arfsten crossed into the box from the right side, and Wessam Abou Ali rose up above Gregersen to head the ball down across goal, bouncing into the top left corner.
Abou Ali would get the better of Gregersen and company again 5 minutes later for his brace! Sneaking behind the centerback’s shoulders to meet a through ball, he cut back in front of the left corner of the 18 yard box. Gregersen gave him way too much space to shoot, and so the striker did, hitting a rocket into the top right corner past a defeated Hoyos who weakly jumped up with his left hand high.
The Crew nearly made it 3-0 in the 58th minute! Diego Rossi made a through run and was free inside the box against Hoyos, but he attempted to chip the bouncing ball and it went well over the crossbar. Finally, after this disastrous sequence, Tata Martino made the needed midfield substitutions, bringing in Ajani Fortune and Cooper Sanchez for Muyumba and Reilly.
That seemed to make an instant impact, as it led to a goal just two minutes later! Miguel Almiron combined with Latte Lath for a 1-2 and switched play to Miranchuk. He drove in front of the box and played a pass to Baez, who hit a low strike to the bottom right corner. That attempt was saved by a diving Schulte, but the rebound popped up to Almiron. Continuing his bad luck in front of goal, Schulte reached back and made another save on the attempt, but couldn’t stop Miranchuk from running in and firing it home on the empty goal. The Five Stripes suddenly had life…
…and it would be ripped away just as quickly. Just after the kickoff, Columbus played a ball down the line to Herrera, and he would run into the box until playing a ball across the six to Max Arfsten. He had snuck in behind Jacob and hit the ball first time into the top right corner to send the small Columbus away section below the press box into an absolute frenzy. The goal made it 3-1 and had been scored while the stadium PA was celebrating the previous goal, something this writer can’t remember happening since July 4, 2017 against the San Jose Earthquakes, and the boo birds were back in full force at Mercadez-Benz Stadium for what was not the first time this season.
The Five Stripes tried to force a quick response of their own, crossing a dangerous ball into the 6-yard box towards Emmanuel Latte Lath. Defender Rudy Camacho sprawled in an attempt to break up the pass and directed the ball towards goal, but it was saved by a Schulte punch.
In the 70th minute, a bad Ajani Fortune giveaway put Hugo Picard on the counter attack for the Crew. He drove at Stian Gregersen and cut left for a shot, but it was deflected by the centerback’s sliding effort. One minute later, Taha Habroune gave space afforded to him in the left side of the box and played a ball across to Rudy Camacho, who had been left open by Mihaj dropping off his back. His rapid shot was saved by Hoyos getting his legs down quickly and preventing an even greater deficit.
Tata Martino made the correct substitutions in hopes of a response, taking out the struggling Jacob and Alzate for Saba Lobjanidze and Matt Edwards in the 74th minute. It did not work as immediately as his first changes since Andres Herrera drove into loads of space in the right channel after a breakaway. He was given so much space that he actually found himself in a 1v1, but shot the ball right at Hoyos for another save with his legs. Hoyos continued to prevent the deficit from growing, coming out sliding to handle a low cross towards two open Columbus players who had torched the backline in the 81st minute.
In the 84th minute, Elias Baez had accidentally handled the ball while sticking it across the defender’s chest challenging for a ball. Although the referee nor the assistant referee called a foul, the Columbus Crew coach yelled at the 4th official until he nodded his head that there was a missed call. This caused the center ref to blow for the foul over 10 seconds after the fact, leading to a yellow card for an Atlanta United assistant coach.
In the 85th minute, former Atlanta United striker Jamal Thiare would sub in for the Crew, making his first appearance in Atlanta since the offseason trade. His new team would nearly score a minute later after a breakaway began from Cooper Sanchez slipping on the ball and having it taken away. Sekou Bangoura would recieve the ball with space to shoot in the right side of the box, but would take awkward touches to his left until Lucas Hoyos got low and sprawled out in an attempt to grab the ball, failing to but making the needed save.
Once the 90th minute hit, there was seemingly no hope for what was truly a hapless attack to rescue a point. However, the referee awarded ELEVEN additional minutes after a few injuries throughout the half.
It only took one minute for chaos to break loose. Hugo Picard ran into Baez’s shoulder after giving the ball away, going to ground in what was clearly not a foul. It was only after Atlanta had completed a 1-2 and were starting an attack in Columbus’ final third that the referee blew the play back. Tata Martino was furious and ran over yelling to the fourth official. A Columbus assistant coach came up to bicker back at him, and the argument eventually led to a scuffle where benches cleared and Dylan Chamost pushed Lucas Hoyos next to the assistant referee. It took four minutes to calm things down, and by the end, Tata was given a straight red card, Chamost was given a yellow, and Crew head coach Henrik Rydstrom was given a yellow card as well.
Now in the 96th minute of play, Columbus’ Nariman Akhundzada was played through on goal in what looked like a clear offside. His strike was saved by Hoyos’ chest, and only after the ball was cleared did the offside flag go up. Atlanta could create no more chances to draw close, and after 104 grueling minutes, the match was over. Columbus Crew nagged their first win of the 2026 MLS season, a dominant 3-1 result, and it left Atlanta wondering what was next after now starting the year 1-1-4 and falling behind Columbus to 12th place in the Eastern Conference at the time of writing. Two points off of the play-in and six points back of a playoff spot this early on, the last two performances had drained all hope from the explosive attacking display against Philadelphia, and what could be done to stop the skid?
Atlanta United will next play on April 11 on the road against the Chicago Fire at 8:30pm EST.
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