Atlanta United suffered a 2-0 defeat to the New England Revolution. The first half was evenly matched, with Atlanta generating promising set-piece chances and attacking momentum through Miguel Almirón and Saba Lobjanidze, though a Jamal Thiaré goal was disallowed for offside. The game turned in the second half as New England seized control, with MLS debutant Dor Turgeman scoring the opener in the 72nd minute. Just three minutes later, New England countered off an Atlanta corner, with Turgeman assisting Leo Campana for the second goal, sealing the 2-0 win and leaving Atlanta United in the 13th position.
What happened:
New England set the early tempo, controlling the match for the opening 10 minutes and managing to create a few dangerous moments near Jayden Hibbert's goal. However, a foul on Miguel Almirón near the box handed the 5-Stripes an opportunity to break the deadlock in the 11th minute. Saba Lobjanidze stepped up for the free kick, sending a powerful strike just wide of Matt Turner's right post.
Atlanta soon began to find its rhythm, driven by Almirón on the left wing. In the 15th minute, the Paraguayan international cut inside and fired a left-footed shot that was collected by Turner, and two minutes later, Almirón and Alexey Miranchuk linked up for a quick give-and-go, but the Russian couldn't settle the ball cleanly and was dispossessed by two New England defenders. Atlanta continued to gain momentum, and in the 21st minute, Lobjanidze again tested the keeper with a shot fired through traffic after a cross from Pedro Amador.
Atlanta striker Jamal Thiaré was highly active, contributing defensively while also hunting for space in the opponent's box. It was Thiaré who first found the back of the net, but his goal in the 38th minute was ultimately disallowed for offside. The chance began with Almirón driving into the box, opting to pass to Steven Alzate instead of the unmarked Miranchuk on the left. Alzate’s powerful shot was saved by Turner, and while Thiaré pounced on the rebound, he had strayed beyond the defense.
New England immediately seized the initiative in the second half, creating back-to-back scoring chances. In the 50th minute, a mishap between Bartosz Slisz and Steven Alzate led to a turnover, allowing Luca Langoni to unleash an impressive right-footed shot from outside the box that struck the crossbar. Immediately after, Carles Gil stole the ball from Alzate, though his subsequent shot drifted just wide of the goal.
Pedro Amador attempted to ignite Atlanta's response, making a long run down the left wing before cutting inside and sending a right-footed shot wide of the frame. Coach Ronny Deila made his first change in the 64th minute, bringing on Emmanuel Latte Lath for Thiaré.
New England's substitutes, Will Sands and Dor Turgeman, quickly became a menace on the left wing, forcing Hibbert to make two crucial saves just after the hour mark. Turgeman, making his MLS debut, finally broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute. Gil threaded a perfect through ball from the center circle to the Israeli forward, who brilliantly dribbled past Stian Gregersen and slotted a left-footed shot into the net for the opening goal.
New England wasted no time doubling their tally. In the 75th minute, Atlanta's attempt to equalize off a corner kick backfired. Matt Turner easily controlled the service from Miranchuk and immediately launched a counter-attack to Turgeman. The debutant sprinted from his own half, out-running the chasing Almirón and Amador, before sending in a low cross that found Leo Campana. The Ecuadorian international finished first-time, scoring his sixth goal of the season.
The result leaves Atlanta United in 14th position with 27 points, while New England remains in 10th with 32.
Milestones:
- Leo Afonso made his MLS Regular Season debut with Atlanta United coming in th 85th minute. The Brazilian joined Atlanta in the summer from Inter Miami CF. He had previously played 14 minutes in the Leagues Cup vs Atlas.
Up next: Atlanta United hits the road again next weekend when they travel to Los Angeles, California to face LAFC on Sunday, October 5. The match will kick off at 9:00 p.m. ET.
