Atlanta United Falls 2-1 to Minnesota United FC

May 4, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Atlanta United FC News Release

ATLANTA – Atlanta United fell 2-1 against Minnesota United FC Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Saba Lobjanidze scored his second goal of the season to help ignite a comeback after the team conceded a pair of goals after halftime, but Atlanta’s rally ultimately fell short.

Each side took time to feel its way into the match, with neither team putting a shot on target until after the half hour mark. Atlanta had a threatening counterattack in the 32nd minute which ended with Lobjanidze attempting to round goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, but he was called offside. Just three minutes later, Minnesota had a prime scoring opportunity denied by Brad Guzan. Atlanta’s captain collided with teammate Luis Abram as both players went to make a play on a bouncing ball in Atlanta’s penalty area. Tani Oluwaseyi followed the play and struck the ball towards goal, but Guzan made a quick reaction save from the ground to keep the match scoreless.

Moments later in the 38th minute, Giorgos Giakoumakis nearly gave Atlanta the lead. Abram played a long diagonal ball to the right wing for Edwin Mosquera. The Colombian one-timed a pass backwards to Almada, who immediately whipped in a cross for Giakoumakis at the back post. The Greek striker headed the ball down which bounced high in front of St. Clair, but Minnesota’s net minder was able to tip it over the bar.

Minnesota took the lead in the 54th minute from a corner kick. Joseph Rosales delivered an out-swinging cross to the back post where Kervin Arriaga leapt high to meet the ball and tuck his header inside the right post. Oluwaseyi doubled the visitor’s lead in the 60th minute with a low shot from distance that snuck in the right side of goal.

Atlanta continued to search for its first goal and eventually halved the deficit in the 82nd minute. The play started with a Minnesota United goal kick which was headed by Bartosz Slisz upfield to Giakoumakis, who nodded the ball further down the pitch into the path of Daniel Ríos sprinting toward goal down the left side. Ríos dribbled into the box before sending a pass with the outside of his right boot to the far side where Lobjanidze one-timed a shot into the bottom left corner.

The pressure continued to build on Minnesota’s goal as Atlanta United pushed for the equalizer late. Following an Atlanta corner kick in the 91st minute, the ball bounced around the penalty area until it fell for Slisz at the edge of the…