Player Impressions: ATLUTD 2-3 Orlando

Starting Lineup

Atlanta United started Wednesday night looking ready to play. That lasted about ten minutes.

The opening goal came from an awkward piece of work inside the Orlando box, with Paulo Díaz sending the ball across the six and Breel Embolo somehow twisting his body enough to make contact. The goal was eventually credited as a David Brekalo own goal.

From there, Atlanta gradually lost its shape. Orlando began finding space through midfield, getting runners behind the back line, and overloading the outside backs. Atlanta was chasing ghosts the rest of the night.

There were individual bright spots. Lucas Hoyos prevented the score from becoming worse. Mauricio Amaro improved as the match went along. Luke Brennan gave Atlanta some urgency after coming on.

There were also too many performances in which Atlanta needed considerably more.

Player Impressions

The Keeper

Lucas Hoyos

Hoyos was beaten three times, but he was also the main reason the game didn't spiral out of control.

His best work came when he left his line. He repeatedly recognized danger early and came racing out to deal with it. One first-half Orlando break initially looked like a certain goal. Hoyos forced the attacker wider, continued chasing him, and bought enough time for Atlanta to survive the play.

Late in the match, he produced two tremendous saves in succession when Orlando again broke through Atlanta's defense.

Then there was his adventure well outside the penalty area. Hoyos came racing out to reach another ball first and simply kept going, eventually carrying the play roughly 40 yards from his goal before passing it off.

Atlanta cannot expect its goalkeeper to solve this many problems created in front of him.

The Back Line

Tomás Jacob

A disappointing night. Jacob continually tried to provide something going forward. He struggles to aim his crosses. His first touch was loose early, and several crosses were hit without enough control to even know which was his intended target.

His frustration eventually showed when he fouled Brekalo, threw the ball away after the whistle, and needlessly collected a yellow card.

Atlanta needs more production from the amount of possession and space Jacob gets on the wing.

Júnior Alonso

Alonso sees danger earlier than many defenders around him. He stepped across runners, protected balls back to Hoyos, and recognized one dangerous first-half cross early enough to get himself between Martín Ojeda and a shot.

He ran into problems when Orlando increased their pace. Alonso struggled to stay with runners, and Atlanta's back four never became organized enough. By the second half, Alonso also appeared resigned to what was happening around him. For a veteran defender expected to provide leadership across this back line, Atlanta needed considerably more.

Paulo Díaz

Díaz had several important defensive interventions. He cleared dangerous balls across the box, won headers, and blocked an Orlando shot during the second half. But overall, he had a subpar defensive performance. Orlando repeatedly found space behind Atlanta's back line, and Díaz never looked properly organized. His positioning and connection with the players around him broke down too often.

One second-half sequence summed up the night. Díaz passed the ball directly out of play, dropped his head, and moments later launched himself into a tackle further up the field and missed. Orlando broke forward.

Elías Báez

He pushed forward, supplied the cross that helped create Atlanta's opening attacking movement, and initially dealt with Orlando's attempts to come down his side.

Orlando began stacking players against him, and he wasn't able to cope. Báez was frequently left dealing with Antoine Griezmann, Justin Ellis, or another runner rotating into the same area. Orlando kept creating overloads, and Atlanta never adequately adjusted for it. He had a late header that put the ball back across the goal during Atlanta's final push. Defensively, though, he was just outmatched.

The Midfield

Mauricio Amaro

Probably the most encouraging Atlanta performance of the night. Amaro's positioning was noticeable almost immediately. He moved deliberately into available spaces and frequently found useful places to receive the ball.

He looked nervous at the start. He rushed several touches and passes. One attempted first-time shot flew badly wide. He then recovered well defensively only to send an errant backpass towards Hoyos. Amaro became more comfortable as the game continued. His movement remained useful, and he looked increasingly capable of finding the spaces Atlanta needed in midfield. He'll coordinate well with his teammates after a few more practices.

Tristan Muyumba

Atlanta needed Muyumba to lead this midfield with Sanchez unavailable and Fortune returning from injury. Amaro was making his first start for Atlanta. Muyumba was the established player in the group.

His passing was inconsistent, Orlando moved through midfield too easily, and Muyumba rarely looked certain about what Atlanta was trying to do. This was a night when experience should have been a stabilizing force. It wasn't.

Jay Fortune

Rusty. It isn't more complicated than that. Fortune was playing for the first time since July 17, and it showed. His positioning and reactions were not yet at the level Atlanta normally gets from him. Atlanta has seen something similar after previous injury absences. Fortune generally needs some playing time before his game returns.

Atlanta does not have many matches left for him to gradually work his way back into form.

The Front Line

Miguel Almirón

He played much deeper during the first half, often receiving the ball well away from Embolo. It reduced the number of attacking runs he could make and left Atlanta's new striker isolated. Almirón moved higher after halftime and looked more dangerous.

Atlanta gets more from Almirón when he can threaten the back line. He and Embolo also did not have the same connection they showed against Miami.

Alexey Miranchuk

Another disappointing night in which Miranchuk has not influenced the match. There were flashes. He controlled a difficult high ball under pressure late in the first half, and he was involved in several combinations around the Orlando penalty box.

But nowhere near enough of it. One second-half possession ended with Miranchuk trying to dribble through four Orlando players and losing the ball. A later free kick sailed harmlessly beyond everyone at the back post.

Breel Embolo

A confusing night. Embolo played a major part in creating Atlanta's opening goal when he somehow contorted himself enough to reach it and force the own goal. Then he disappeared.

Part of that came from Atlanta's inability to get him service. Embolo frequently operated more like an attacking midfielder than a striker, moving away from goal in an effort to become involved. There were also two exaggerated tumbles during challenges that were more theatrical than useful. Hopefully those do not become part of his game.

The Subs

Fafà Picault

Picault gave Atlanta a few useful moments down the left, producing one particularly good move with a double fake before getting around his marker.

By then, Atlanta was throwing increasingly hopeful balls into the box, and he couldn't connect a target.

Adrian Gill

His first several minutes were full of movement. Pass and move. Pass and move. For a period, Atlanta's midfield and defense looked more organized and active. as the match wore on, Orlando figured him out and contained him.

Luke Brennan

One of Atlanta's better substitutes. Brennan came on trying to make something happen. He pushed forward, pressured defenders, attacked crosses, and nearly reached several balls around the six-yard box. His best individual moment came when he wrapped himself around Justin Ellis and stripped the ball away. In the end though, he cannot connect with the front line.

Enea Mihaj

Mihaj did not have much time, but Atlanta's defense looked more stable after he entered. He blocked a hard Orlando shot shortly after coming on and later recovered when Iván Angulo broke behind Atlanta's line, reaching the ball with a well-timed toe poke.

He caused Atlanta's second goal, getting onto Amaro's cross and heading the ball back across the face of goal before the deflection carried it in.

Sérgio Santos

Another appearance that left the same question. What is Atlanta getting from Santos? His first touch is unreliable, his positioning does not consistently help the attack, and he completely scuff his best opportunity.

With Cayman Togashi available on the bench, it is becoming increasingly difficult to understand why Santos continues to receive these minutes.

The Coach

Tata Martino

Martino did try to change the match. Gill came on early enough to give Atlanta a different midfield presence. Brennan added another attacking player. Almirón was pushed higher. Amaro's position changed. Four more players eventually arrived together.

Martino moved players, changed roles, and changed personnel. None of it solved Atlanta's problems. The use of Santos ahead of Togashi is also becoming harder to explain.

Atlanta looked like a collection of individuals.