Atlanta United fell 4-0 to New York City FC in the first match of the second half of the 2025 MLS regular season. The home side scored three goals in the span of four minutes in the second half in a rapid spell. After a first half where the 5-Stripes had the better of the chances, fatigue set in all at once.
Quote from head coach Ronny Deila: "I don't see enough belief. I've talked all week, all year about togetherness and desire to win. I don't see it. This I have to take responsibility for ... You need to play 95 minutes with that discipline. In the first half, we can't do so much more, just put the ball in the net ... It's a big task now. The question is, are we believing in this?"
What happened: The first three minutes of the match looked a lot like two teams fresh off the international break: slow, tentative. That was until Saba Lobjanidze broke away down the left side. His cross was accurate to Jamal Thiaré, but Birk Risa made a dive and cleared the ball before Thiaré could get to it.
It took a bit of time for Atlanta United to adjust to the width of the pitch at Yankee Stadium, the narrowest in MLS. A couple of nice combinations down the wings were foiled by balls that ran just a little too far wide and out for throw ins.
The first player to unlock the New York City defense was Alexey Miranchuk. His pass to Thiaré in behind sliced forward, and Thiaré was brought down by goalkeeper Tomás Romero in the 13th minute. It was a quick coming together, and after a Video Assistant Referee review that lasted nearly four minutes, head official Sergii Boiko determined it wasn't worthy of a penalty kick.
Atlanta's approach was clear: Send long balls over the top, bring them down and be aggressive from there. Derrick Williams and Ronald Hernández were spraying passes, and the 5-Stripes were doing well winning second balls to progress their attack.
They got a look at goal on the counter in the first half as well. Brooks Lennon cut back into space and found Miranchuk at the top of the box. He launched a longshot with plenty of room, and it clanked off the crossbar and away in the 31st minute.
Atlanta United earned a corner in the 36th minute, and Williams rose up for a header. It glanced across the face of goal, and Thiaré tapped it in, but the offside flag went up.
A rogue back pass cost Atlanta United just before the break. Brooks Lennon's lay off was quickly snatched up by New York City, and a pass later, Maxi Moralez finished a point-blank chance in the 44th minute.
Brad Guzan saved face, literally, with a stop in the 54th minute, using his head to keep the ball out of the net. NYCFC got a second goal moments later, though, a clean strike from Mounsef Bakrar that ripped into the top of the net in the 55th.
Things went from bad to worse for the 5-Stripes two minutes later. Hannes Wolf picked the ball up just inside the right side of Atlanta United's box, cut it and placed it just past Guzan's outstretched arm.
They had a fourth shortly after. Wolf split through the defense and ran onto a through ball, and he was through on goal. Guzan got a hand on his shot, but it still trickled in, securing his brace and the third goal in the span of four minutes for NYCFC. The score sat at 4-0 in the 59th minute.
Luis Abram, Noah Cobb and Emmanuel Latte Lath came on after the scoring burst was over. Latte Lath had a nearly immediate chance that Romero saved, and the match settled as the two teams split spells of possession without many real chances.
Key stat: Three in four. Atlanta United conceded three goals in four minutes from the 55th to the 59th minute, a period that felt impossibly quick and buried the match for New York City.
Milestones:
-- Will Reilly made his second start of his career Thursday night. His first was on March 22 against FC Cincinnati during the first international break of the MLS regular season.
-- Luke Brennan made his second substitute appearance for Atlanta United this season. He came in for Jamal Thiaré in the 78th minute.
-- Nyk Sessock made his MLS debut as a substitute in the 88th minute. The Atlanta United 2 played signed a Short-Term Agreement to be included in the first team squad Thursday night.
Up next: Atlanta United will have nearly two weeks between matches and will return on the road to face Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field Wednesday June 25. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET in the first match up between the two teams this season.
