Atlanta United hit the road again for the third of five straight away matches, this time heading to Columbus to face the Crew. Head Coach Ronny Deila needed to reshuffle the squad yet again with six players sidelined due to injuries.
With Derrick Williams out after his injury in the last match against NYCFC, Bolivian international Efraín Morales stepped up, making his first start for Atlanta United this season. This was his fifth appearance overall for the club and his first since June 22, 2024.
The 5-Stripes kicked off with a double defensive block, aiming to stifle Columbus Crew's quick attack and keep their dangerous players in check with close marking. However, even with some promising early link-up play between Alexey Miranchuk and Emmanuel Latte Lath, the 5-Stripes just couldn't crack Columbus's solid defense.
Atlanta's game plan was clear from the get-go: defend deep, win the ball in their own half, and launch counterattacks using their two wingbacks, Pedro Amador and Brooks Lennon, who were pushed high by the five-man back line. But this strategy also left some openings that Columbus quickly exploited. Around the tenth minute, Dylan Chambost made a dangerous run into the box, even dribbling past goalkeeper Brad Guzan, though his shot drifted wide of the net.
Chambost Leads the Charge for the Crew
It was Chambost who orchestrated the play that finally broke the deadlock. The French midfielder threaded a long ball from midfield to right back Andrés Herrera, who was a constant headache for Atlanta's defense in the first half. The Argentinian Herrera brought the ball down perfectly with his right foot inside the box, leaving only Guzan to beat. His left-footed shot found the back of the net in the 23rd minute for the game's opening goal.
Columbus gained serious momentum after that. In the 28th minute, Diego Rossi won a ball in midfield and sent a through pass to Daniel Gazdag. Gazdag's quick shot from inside the box, with no defenders marking him, was impressively saved by Guzan. That was Atlanta's captain's third save of the match in less than 30 minutes, keeping his team in the game.
Just two minutes later, Columbus doubled their lead through forward Jacen Russell-Rowe. The play started deep in the Crew's own box with goalkeeper Evan Bush, who fed the ball to Chambost. With no pressure from Atlanta's front four, Chambost quickly passed to Gazdag, who immediately dished it to Russell-Rowe. The young Canadian forward drove into Atlanta's box and, despite pressure from Morales, managed to fire a shot to the near post that found the net, even with Guzan's desperate attempt to save it with his left foot.
The Crew kept up the relentless pressure. In the 42nd minute, it seemed like Atlanta's backline had the ball under control, but Columbus still managed to bag a third goal. Matt Edwards passed the ball back to Bartosz Slisz, who, under pressure, couldn't control it. Russell-Rowe then combined with Rossi to put the ball in the net, securing his second goal of the night and Columbus's third.
Atlanta Seeks Second-Half Spark
For the second half, Deila brought in midfielder Will Reilly for Klich, slotting him in as a left midfielder with the task of creating space for left back Pedro Amador. Reilly immediately injected a different energy into the midfield and did well to cover the ground that Chambost had dominated in the first half.
In the 56th minute, Miranchuk delivered a cross from the left that Morales headed down inside the goal area. After a scramble involving Edwards and Bush, Lennon managed to push the ball into the net. Following a lengthy two-minute VAR review, the referee confirmed the goal; Columbus defender Yevgen Cheberko's clearance came after the ball had already crossed the line. This was Lennon's first goal of the season.
Atlanta continued to push for another goal. In the 77th minute, Deila brought on Saba Lobjanidze and Jamal Thiaré for Edwards and Miranchuk, respectively, but they couldn't sway the final outcome.
Columbus remains unbeaten at home this season, while Atlanta's winless streak extends to three matches. The 5-Stripes will look to turn things around next Saturday, July 5, when they visit D.C. United in the nation's capital during the Fourth of July weekend.
