ATLANTA – Leading up to their hard-fought 1-0 victory at home against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, Atlanta United had conceded at least one goal in each of their previous 12 matches. But with possession, pressing, and patience, Atlanta kept an opponent off the scoresheet for first time since Week 3.
The strong defensive effort came at a good time, as Atlanta are set for a US Open Cup game on the road against Miami FC on Wednesday before traveling to play Columbus Crew SC on July 1 (7:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE).
“The clean sheet was a big step for us,” said Atlanta United captain Michael Parkhurst. “We feel like some games we’ve been good enough to get a clean sheet and it hasn’t happened for whatever reason.”
The Rapids are anything but an offensive juggernaut – particularly on the road, where they now have an 0-7-0 record and just two goals. Nevertheless, Atlanta were happy with how they limited Colorado to just two shots on goal.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Atlanta goalkeeper Alec Kann, who kept the ball out of his own for only the third time this season. “We need to keep building off this for sure.”
Added Parkhurst: “It’s a huge boost of confidence, especially at this point in the season.”
Atlanta’s press thoroughly disrupted Colorado’s flow throughout the match, with the Rapids completing only 51 percent of their passes on the night. That represented a major improvement for Atlanta, who allowed D.C. United to complete 75 percent of their passes in a 2-1 midweek loss.
“We were pretty disappointed after Wednesday, obviously,” said Jeff Larentowicz. “But one thing [Atlanta United manager Tata Martino] challenged us all with was our commitment, our commitment to each other. I think that it was a team effort tonight and when you have a team effort you just have a really good chance.”
Beyond effort, Atlanta also demonstrated a patience they have lacked at times throughout the season.
Despite having more than three-quarters of possession in the first half against the Rapids, Atlanta were only able to muster one shot on goal. At halftime, Martino gave clear instructions to his players: don’t panic and stay calm on the ball.
While Atlanta were happy with their overall performance, set pieces continue to be a problem. The Rapids' best chance of the night came off a corner kick in the closing seconds of the match. Bismark Adjei-Boateng beat Atlanta’s Kevin Kratz to the ball, but Kann made the save to secure the three points.
“We need to continue to build chemistry defensively and make sure we are disciplined behind the ball defending set pieces,” said Kann.
