Atlanta United picked up a point with a 0-0 draw against D.C. United at Audi Field Saturday night. The 5-Stripes kept a clean sheet for the first time since the third match of their season March 8. They imposed for the majority of the match but were unable to create clear-cut chances against D.C.'s low block, and there were no fireworks in the Fourth-of-July-weekend game.
What happened: Atlanta United's 5-3-2 formation looked more like a 4-2-4 in the flow of the match, as Alexey Miranchuk pushed up to press and Saba Lobjanidze and Miguel Almirón occupied the wings.
D.C. had an early chance in the 6th minute, when a cross-field ball found Conner Antely. He took a crack at a first-time strike and hit the crossbar, and Atlanta United were able to clear.
Aside from that look, the first 30 minutes were very slow, as both teams were patient on the ball and didn't rush to press. Atlanta United dictated more of the possession and nearly doubled D.C.'s passing total, but substantial chances were hard to come by.
The 5-Stripes' best look in the first half came when Brooks Lennon faked out his defender and found space to whip in a cross. Latte Lath was just out of range, and the ball trickled away.
Latte Lath felt the force of a rough yet unintentional hit in the 35th minute. According to the MLS broadcast crew, an independent physician came onto the field to evaluate him. He spent about a minute on the sideline and came back into the match. The Ivorian stayed active in the remainder of the second half, as his teammates made a point to lob through balls towards him. D.C.'s deep backline didn't allow much space for those passes, and goalkeeper Luis Barraza.
Brad Guzan came out to punch a cross away in the 44th minute, and while he was able to get the ball away, his head collided with Luis Abram's knee. A second concussion protocol visit from the independent physician cleared Guzan to continue.
After 45, neither team managed a shot on goal, and the scored was knotted at 0-0.
It was the 5-Stripes that came out swinging in the second half. Latte Lath got a great look with a bouncing ball in behind in the 51st minute. Miranchuk chipped over the defense, catching them off guard, but the Ivorian struck the ball too low, and it soared over the net.
Efraín Morales stopped a great D.C. chance in the 62nd minute as the home side broke away on the counter. He threw his body in front of a shot on goal, making enough contact with his torso to send the ball behind for a corner.
Ronny Deila went to his bench in the 76th minute to bring on Tristan Muyumba and Matt Edwards and later Luke Brennan and Jamal Thiaré in the 87th. Though it was the 5-Stripes holding the ball, nothing came of it. The match ended a 0-0 effort where neither team eclipsed 1 expected goal.
Key stat: 2. That's how many shots on target both sides mustered over the 90 minutes. Much of the battling went down in the midfield, and a deep-lying D.C. team didn't allow Atlanta United much room to get shots off.
Standouts: Will Reilly, in just his third start of the season, was everywhere. Whether he was winning a tackle, moving the ball forward himself or distributing to others, he put in a complete performance. He completed 92.3 percent of his passes and made hustle play after hustle play to keep the ball at Atlanta United's feet.
Efraín Morales, in his second-straight appearance this season, brought physicality and timely stops to the table. He completed a match-high 97.7 percent of his passes (among players who started) and made a last-ditch effort to block a great chance in the second half.
Milestones:
- Will Reilly made his third start of the 2025 season, the fourth Homegrown player this season to reach that total along with Jay Fortune, Matt Edwards and Noah Cobb.
- The 5-Stripes kept a clean sheet for the second time this season.
Up next: Atlanta United closes out their lengthy road span with a match at Toronto FC July 12, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The 5-Stripes will then return home for the first time in over a month with two matches against Chicago Fire and Charlotte FC.
