Atlanta United Falls 2-1 to FC Cincinnati

April 20, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Atlanta United FC News Release

Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada on the field
(Atlanta United FC)

ATLANTA – Atlanta United fell 2-1 against FC Cincinnati Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Thiago Almada scored his second goal of the season to give Atlanta the lead in the second half, but Cincinnati responded with two goals shortly after to come away with the three points.

The first half presented an end-to-end contest with both sides pushing for the opening goal, but neither could find the final product as each finished the half with just one shot on target. Atlanta United’s first scoring chance came in the 11th minute after a quality build up. Almada received the ball near midfield and sent a through ball down the center of the field for Saba Lobjanidze. He then found Edwin Mosquera on the left wing, where the Colombian winger lobbed a cross to the back post intended for Daniel Ríos. The ball was knocked down by a Cincinnati defender, but it fell directly to the feet of Lobjandize inside the six-yard box where he tapped a shot toward bottom left corner. However, former Atlanta goalkeeper Alec Kann made a diving save to keep the match scoreless.

Atlanta eventually found the breakthrough goal in the 59th minute through a brilliant strike from Almada. The play began with an Atlanta throw-in on the far side of the field in its own half. Almada gathered the ball and made a diagonal run, combining with Wiley on the left side to progress the ball across midfield. Wiley sprayed a pass down the left wing for Mosquera to collect just outside the 18-yard box. Mosquera took a few touches before laying off a pass to Almada at the top of the box where the Argentine settled the ball, turned and fired off a quick shot from just beyond the penalty area that soared into the bottom right corner past the outstretched glove of Kann.

Cincinnati, however, immediately struck back in the 62nd minute. After an errant corner kick, Cincinnati was gifted a breakaway with Luciano Acosta leading the way. The reigning league MVP played a pass to Luca Orellano on the left side running into the box where he coolly slotted a low shot across goal to the bottom corner to level the match. Two minutes later Cincinnati took the lead. After a spell of possession, DeAndre Yedlin received the ball on the right wing and played an early cross into the box where Acosta brought it down near the penalty slot before tucking his shot to the left side of goal….