Atlanta United extended their unbeaten run to three matches with a 0-0 draw at home to the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.
Coming in off the back of consecutive wins over Toronto FC and Orlando City, the Five Stripes looked confident as they continue to battle their way back into MLS Cup Playoffs contention.
However, for all their endeavor, Atlanta weren’t able to open up the Union. Juan Purata heading a corner off target and Thiago Almada curling an effort from distance just wide represented their best first-half efforts.
After the break, Union goalkeeper Andre Blake was forced to work much harder, keeping out a Brooks Lennon shot and Dom Dwyer’s rebound from close range – with a little help from center-back Jakob Glesnes.
Blake’s best save of the match came right at the end when he stopped a Josef Martinez diving header at the far post, inside his own six-yard box.
Though they’ll be frustrated at only taking a point from the match, Atlanta United can take heart at denying the Union – currently top of the overall standings – a single shot on target and outmatching them 1.26-0.16 in terms of xG. This might well go down as the best performance of the season from Gonzalo Pineda’s men.
Temporarily, at least, Atlanta United are now just a single point adrift of the MLS Cup Playoffs spots. The Union, meanwhile, are three points clear of LAFC in the Supporters’ Shield race but have played one game extra.
Read on for full player ratings from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Not done fighting. The push continues. pic.twitter.com/xtBIlM3Y50
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) September 17, 2022
GK: Raul Gudino – 6/10 – Barely had anything to do.
RB: Ronald Hernandez – 7/10 – Provided plenty of energy down the right flank, getting up and down relentlessly.
CB: Juan Purata – 7/10 – Another solid performance from a player quickly looking at home in Atlanta.
CB: Alan Franco – 8/10 – Franco’s improvement recently has been dramatic and this was another near-flawless performance.
LB: Andrew Gutman – 6/10 – Always tried to be positive with the ball, it just didn’t come off for him as much as it has recently.
CM: Santiago Sosa – 8/10 – Another slick performance, pinging the ball all over the field. Also provided a good shield for the Atlanta defense.
CM: Amar Sejdic – 7/10 – It sometimes feels like Sejdic’s decision-making is a second too slow, but he makes up for it with his work rate and refusal to hide from the ball. Very unlucky to hit the post with a shot from distance.
RW: Brooks Lennon -…
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