Before each game I jokingly write a lede predicting the worst possible outcome. For the first time ever, that lede feels somewhat appropriate. “Sadness is knowing exactly how close you were to joy” succinctly sums up the near-riotous party turned tire fire that was Atlanta United’s 3-1 loss to Red Bulls on Sunday night, in a game flipped completely on its head by two crucial refereeing decisions in the first half.
The opening twenty minutes were breathless. Both sides went full throttle out of the gate, exchanging chances until Atlanta delivered the first blow in the 26th minute.