Atlanta United have no shots on goal and are blanked in Montreal

The loss, combined with other results, dropped Atlanta United from 10th to 11th in the East. The team will host NYCFC on Wednesday and Columbus on Saturday.

“Everybody’s really disappointed, including me,” center back Noah Cobb said. “I think it’s really frustrating, especially in the first half when the game was a little stagnant. Honestly, there wasn’t a lot going on on both sides. They had more of the ball, but they weren’t doing much with it. I got my hand up on the goal, made a bad pass that got intercepted. A lack of concentration and a goal.”

Interim manager Rob Valentino’s lineup consisted of Daniel Rios up front, Saba Lobjanidze, Xande Silva, Tristan Muyumba and Bartosz Slisz in midfield, Brooks Lennon and Ronald Hernandez, replacing Caleb Wiley, as wingers, Stian Gregersen, Derrick Williams and Cobb as centre-backs and Brad Guzan in goal. It was the strongest lineup Valentino could field. The MLS transfer window opens Thursday.

Valentino spoke on Thursday about the need for the team to remain compact defensively.

Atlanta United did the same in the first half. Although Montreal attempted nine shots, only three were on target and Guzan stopped every one of them.

On offense, Atlanta United continued to play slowly in the first half. They did not attempt a shot until Hernandez attempted a high shot that missed the goal around the 36th minute. Atlanta United did not create a scoring chance in the first half.

“It’s a tough moment,” Valentino said. “In the first half we knew we were probably going to have to defend a lot and I think I talked about it earlier in the week that we would defend and be a little more solid. It wasn’t pretty at all but I told them that’s how it would be. Going away is how most teams in the league are but if you’re solid defensively you can possibly frustrate them and create chances that way and that’s what I tried to add.”

Atlanta United found themselves 1-0 down in the 51st minute when Ruan headed in at the far post, which was not marked close enough by Hernandez. No Atlanta United player was within five yards of Raheem Edwards’ cross either.

“It came from a mistake on our part when we were on the counterattack,” Valentino said. “At that point, you just have to put out the fires, especially in transition. You have two players there and one of theirs and we didn’t handle that. Whether it was naive or just that, what we talked about before the game, the focus and execution, it was a moment where there was a lack of focus and execution.”

Things got worse for Atlanta United four minutes later when Gregersen received his second yellow card for what appeared to be a shoulder-to-shoulder tackle and was sent off, reducing Atlanta United to 10 men for the remainder of the match. Gregersen would subsequently miss the next match. Both yellow cards given by referee Ted Unkel were “soft” decisions. Gregersen’s first yellow card came in the 38th minute for an attempted tackle near the edge of the penalty area.

Jamal Thiare and Jay Fortune replaced Rios and Silva in the 71st minute. Dax McCarty replaced Muyumba in the 78th minute.

Guzan made three tough saves to give Atlanta United time to try to find an equalizer.

“I didn’t want to just try to sit and defend and that’s not what I’m asking them to do, to sit and defend, but how can we be more aggressive and compact together,” Valentino said. “That’s changed and it’s frustrating because it would have been nice to see if we could have taken something there when it was 11 on 11.”

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Atlanta United 2024 Schedule

February 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0

March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1

March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0

March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0

March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0

April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1

April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2

April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1

April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1

May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1

May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in US Open Cup

May 11 DC United 3, Atlanta United 2

May 15 Cincinnati 1, Atlanta United 0

May 18 Atlanta United 1, Nashville 1

May 21 Atlanta United 0 (5), Charleston 0 (4) in US Open Cup

May 25 LAFC 1, Atlanta United 0

May 29 Atlanta United 3, Miami 1

June 2 Charlotte 3, Atlanta United 2

June 15 Atlanta United 2, Houston 2

June 19 Atlanta United 1, DC United 0

June 22 Atlanta United 1, St. Louis 1

June 29 Atlanta United 2, Toronto 1

July 3 New England 2, Atlanta United 1

July 6 Real Salt Lake 5, Atlanta United 2

July 9 Indy Eleven 2, Atlanta United 1

July 13 Montreal 1, Atlanta United 0

July 17 vs NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.

July 20 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m.

July 26 vs. DC United in Leagues Cup, 7:30 p.m.

August 4 against Santos Laguna in Leagues Cup, 4 p.m.

August 24 at LA Galaxy, 10:30 p.m.

August 31 in Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.

September 14 vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m.

September 18 vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.

September 21 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.

September 28 in Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

October 2 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

October 5 vs. Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.

October 19 in Orlando, 6 p.m.