COLUMBUS, OH — Another match on the road, another loss for Atlanta United. The Five Stripes flew to Columbus on Wednesday and will return to Atlanta with a 3-1 loss in their luggage. The loss was Atlanta’s 11th of the season, second only to Montreal.
Fun Fact: Atlanta United defeated CF Montreal to open the 2025 campaign. Why does that feel like years ago instead of months ago on February 22?
No excuses, this was a bad loss, but here comes an excuse: Atlanta was missing some key players.
Atlanta United came into the match as battered and bruised as they have been the entire season. The Five Stripes were without starting midfielder Ajani Fortune, who will miss the remainder of the 2025 season after injuring his left foot while playing for the Trinidad & Tobago National Team, fellow midfielder Tristan Muyumba, and defenders Stian Gregersen and Derrick Williams.
Despite the missing players, Atlanta United manager Ronny Deila put a strong starting XI on the field at lower.com Field. The amount of talent, if only by name and reputation, included Miguel Almiron, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Bartosz Slisz, Mateusz Klich, Alexey Miranchuck, and veteran goaltender Brad Guzan, to name a few. What has taken place this season can be used to describe the words “confusing,” “conundrum,” and flabbergasting.”
After the game, Deila said he “didn’t see anybody quit” and credited the play during the second half. “We won the second half 1-0,” he said.
Guzan said his manager was being nice and was looking for something positive from a tough loss. “The game isn’t 45 minutes, it’s 90 minutes,” Guzan said.
Deila started Almiron and Latte Lath up top. The club’s most expensive signings and highest-profile players, Almiron and Latte Lath, had yet to demonstrate that they played well together. And in the end, they didn’t.
Columbus nearly went ahead in the 15th minute before central midfielder Dylan Chambost missed a sitter. I cannot exaggerate enough about how wide open Chambost was when he missed that shot. Describing the opportunity as an “empty-netter wouldn’t do it enough justice. That wasn’t the Crew’s only shot of the first half, though. Former Atlanta United star Darlington Nagbe and friends kept the pressure on the entire first half.
The home team would finally find the back of the net in the 21st minute when right-back Andres Herrera scored. Columbus would be ahead 2-0 in the 32nd minute after Jacen Russell-Rowe scored an unassisted goal that found its way between Atlanta defender Efrain Morales and Guzan.
The third goal of the match also belonged to Russell-Rowe, but this time it came with an assist from teammate Diego Rossi in the 42nd minute. Atlanta’s backline had no answer for the Crew, and the 3-0 score at halftime could have easily been three or four goals worse.
A video review of Atlanta right winger Brooks Lennon’s apparent goal was successful, but not before Latte Lath and Almiron got referee Victor Rivas’ attention and campaigned for it. Who says those two can’t work together?
With the score 3-1 in favor of Columbus in the 60th minute, there was a slight pick-up in play by Atlanta. In the 65th minute, Latte Lath had a clear shot at bringing Atlanta a goal closer, but missed far left. He has not scored a goal in more than two months.
Columbus, however, nearly scored a fourth goal in the 81st minute, but the crossbar should be credited with making the stop.
Kinda good news:
There is some good news to take away from this match day: Atlanta United doesn’t have to play at Inter Miami at Chase Stadium this weekend. Inter Miami’s success in the FIFA World Cup has allowed their match with Atlanta United to be moved to October 11. That’s a small victory for an Atlanta United team that has experienced very few of those this year.
Following a short severe weather alert that took place an hour before the scheduled first kick at 7:30 p.m.
Notes from the road:
1-The pizza at Boston’s, a local joint within the area’s Arena District, was very good. I tried the buffalo chicken personal pan and enjoyed it while the rain fell a couple of hours before tip-off.
2-Only a couple of steps away from lower.com Field is Hungtingdon Park, the home of the minor league Columbus Clippers. The park wasn’t open on Wednesday afternoon when I arrived, but I got a chance to take a look around. It’s pretty cool to know that there are summer nights when professional baseball and soccer will be played simultaneously.
3-The giveaway at lower.com Field on Wednesday was a Columbus Crew cap. It was black with a white front. From the press box, I could see hundreds of fans wearing their hats.
4-It goes without saying that Columbus is one of the best supported clubs in Major League Soccer, but I can see why. lower.com Field is a gorgeous soccer-specific venue. It’s easy to get to, doesn’t have a bad seat in the place, and with three MLS Cups and counting, doesn’t feel like the support from the locals will be waning anytime soon.
