I felt set to say a lot of nice things about Atlanta not coming out flat in their first game back since Emerson Hyndman’s injury and in their first game in a while without Josef Martinez.
This team will need to learn how to close out games and simply survive through the second half against good teams if they want to make a considerable impact in the standings going forward.
Atlanta came out with intensity and a few good to really good ideas about how to find space against Philadelphia’s diamond.
But when you make a change like bringing in a third center back deep into the game, you do take a risk.
Second, we can all probably agree that when you’re heralded DP center back comes in and things get worse defensively that something less than positive has occurred.
Because Atlanta need to figure out what to do with Cubo Torres and they’re finding it difficult.
It felt indicative of a lot of things when Brooks Lennon played an excellent cross in the fourth minute that came directly to Torres from eight yards out and the ball simply bounced harmlessly off Torres’ face.
Maybe try Jackson Conway, the young homegrown? Maybe try Erik Lopez as a central striker with Ezequiel Barco and Jake Mulraney on the wing? Maybe find a galaxy-brained false nine to put out there? Try something.
The thing is though, they’re just a great team out here doing great team things like coming back from 2-0.