It was great, I bet!
Well, it finally happened. After nearly eight years of covering Atlanta United, since before they even had an identity, I missed a match.
It wasn’t for lack of trying. I shell out $200 a month for a cable package to ensure access to the Regional Sports Networks that carry the majority of the club’s matches on television. However, because of the nearly three-hour weather delay, the match that began being televised on Over-The-Air FOX ended up relegated to the poorly distributed FOX Sports 2 channel. While you may be lucky enough to have access to it, I wasn’t as fortunate.
I regret to inform you that I’m currently writing this review without having watched the match and only having seen highlights and social media dialog. This isn’t a post begging for pity or to rant about not being able to watch my favorite soccer team play because of a poor television deal constructed by MLS. I realize I’m quite lucky to be able to consume 99.9% of Atlanta United matches. This is just an admission that the following brief thoughts are completely uninformed and thus will not generate any unnecessary narratives that I cannot fully support.
If you had offered my a 2-2 draw at Nashville on Friday I would’ve graciously accepted it, no questions asked. Nashville SC is a fantastically run franchise and a great team. So for Gonzalo Pineda’s team to walk out of Tennessee with a point is a fine result.
Seeing the two goals that the team conceded on the night, it still appears that defending in their own 18-yard box is problematic. I can’t really expand on that as I only saw two video clips, but it’s to be expected at this point with so much inconsistency with the loss of Guzan and Miles.
On the other end of the field, it’s impossible to not be encouraged by the continued production of Thiago Almada. While it would obviously be a lie if I said I knew he had a great performance, I know he scored a nice goal and had a stunning secondary assist on the winner. It’s just lovely to see his natural talent translating to tangible outcomes on a consistent basis. We can only hope it continues.
I sincerely apologize that I cannot offer much more context or insight into what seemed to be a very fun match. However, the content machine, much like the grueling MLS season, must never stop. Bring on another week and let the MLS TV Gods be in your favor.
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