Disarray in A-T-L: United looks lost after 3 stellar years
Associated Press
ATLANTA — The first three seasons went so smoothly for Atlanta United.
Championships. Trophies. Record crowds.
Sure, there were a few hiccups along the way, but the club quickly established itself as one of Major League Soccer’s flagship franchises, a model that was held up to others as the way to do things the proper way.
Which is why the current state of affairs is so shocking.
United hasn’t won a game — or even scored a goal — in more than five months. A four-game losing streak over all competitions is the longest in team history. An interim coach is now running the team.
While the coronaviruis pandemic has made this a season like no other, it’s clear that things are amiss in the A-T-L.
“Everybody, across the board, kind of needs to look at themselves and recalibrate,” said 37-year-old Jeff Larentowicz, who has been with the team since its inception in 2017.
Atlanta United hopes to at least start showing signs of improvement when it returns to the field Saturday night at fan-less Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Phase 2 of the MLS reopening against expansion club Nashville.
“We want to get back to scoring goals, get back being an exciting team,” goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. “Make it a scary thing when teams see they’re playing Atlanta United.”
The year started promisingly enough — an opening-round triumph in the CONCACAF Champions League, followed by a season-opening road win against MLS newcomer Nashville. But in that game, the club sustained a devastating blow when 2018 league MVP Josef Martinez went down with a season-ending knee injury.
Without Martinez, United managed to win its league home opener against one of MLS’ weaker teams, knocking off Cincinnati 2-1 on March 7 before a crowd of more than 69,000 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
That is the club’s most recent victory. Atlanta was blown out by Mexican powerhouse América 3-0 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in the opening leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, then the season shut down for more than four months because of the pandemic.
UNITED,
In July, Atlanta United defender Fernando Meza (6) and forward Adam Jahn (14) react after a play during an MLS soccer match against the New York Red Bulls.
Whatever the case, Fowler endured 3½ tumultuous seasons with the Jaguars, piling up most of his headlines for misdeeds off the field.
An arrest in Miami Beach on misdemeanor charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. A video that showed Fowler refereeing a violent fight between his girlfriend and an ex-girlfriend. Another arrest after he allegedly hit a man following an argument about Fowler’s driving,