The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
United settles for draw
Missed opportunities prove costly against Timbers.
Perhaps needing a superhero in front of goal, Atlanta United used a goal from Julian Gressel to salvage a 1-1 draw with Portland on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta United dominated possession (approximately 68 percent), but
couldn’t finish scoring chances. Josef Martinez, wearing a black mask to protect his broken nose, missed so many chances that he eventually ripped off the gear in the second half. What was supposed to last six weeks lasted about 60 minutes.
The draw, with an announced attendance of 45,116, moves Atlanta United to 34 points, most in MLS. The team will host Orlando, loser of seven consecutive, Saturday. The Timbers stretched their unbeaten run to nine games.
Manager Gerardo Martino continued to use the 4-3-3 formation that he moved away from earlier this year in favor of the 3-5-2. As has been the case in most of the past few games, Martino elected not to start Hector Villalba, instead using Gressel as the wide midfielder on the right. Villalba,
who played well in the loss to Chicago in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, made the 18 on Sunday.
After dominating possession in the first 20 minutes, Portland began finding seams within the defense and created several good scoring chances. A shot by Sebastian Blanco hit the post. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan saved another on a free kick.
The Timbers broke through in the 33rd minute on a diving header by Larrys Mabiala. A free kick from the left was touched by Samuel Armenteros. Guzan saved that, but, as Atlanta United defenders stood with their arms raised looking for an offside call, the rebound floated to Mabiala to nod home at the far post. The free kick was the result of a poor tackle and subsequent yellow card to Franco Escobar. It was the Timbers’ seventh goal from a set piece, tied for sixth most in the league.
Martinez had a chance to tie it in the 43rd minute, but his header from just a few yards away flew across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick. He said on Friday that he worried the mask would affect his vision when looking for the ball.
A Martinez attempt was blocked by several Portland defenders just before the half. Frustrated, Martinez kicked the advertising boards behind the goal before grabbing them and shaking them back and forth.
Martinez missed again in the 52nd minute, putting a spinning effort over the crossbar.
The Timbers, playing banked lines of four or five at the back, with four or five in the midfield, proved hard to break apart or through.
Atlanta United continued to dominate possession and the work paid off with an equalizer from Gressel in the 56th minute. His first career goal came at Providence Park in Portland last year.
Darlington Nagbe, facing his former team for the first time after being traded during the offseason, was forced off with an injury that happened just before the goal. Villalba came on in his place. He ripped a shot from 19 yards that skimmed off the crossbar. He came close a minute later when he tried to poke a left-footed shot into the right corner. But he couldn’t get anything on it and Jeff Attinella scooped it up.
Villalba kept firing, hitting a dipping shot that Attinella got low to smother in the 84th minute.
Atlanta United stormed Portland’s goal in injury time, but Martinez missed a diving header that somehow went sideways when he was practically in the goal.
Miguel Almiron charged again second later, but Attinella made the tough save.