Atlanta United entered Red Bull Arena Sunday with a chance to grab the Supporter’s Shield with one hand if they could manage a draw, and “a hand and a half,” as Michael Parkhurst put it, if the Five Stripes could take all three points. To do so would require the team to be clever and stray from a style that, while effective against most teams, hasn’t led to a result yet against the New York Red Bulls.
That didn’t happen. Tata Martino brought Chris McCann back into the side at LWB, played Jeff Larentowicz alongside Michael Parkhurst in a back three, and the team proceeded to get railroaded as it labored to move the ball out of it’s own defensive third.