Atlanta United should have been going into Sunday’s match against the Philadelphia Union on a high from their morale-boosting 1-0 win over Monterrey during the week, even if that meant that exiting the CONCACAF Champions League. But instead, they looked flat, tired and lethargic, failing to register a single shot on target during the first half.
They then found themselves 1-0 down just after the interval courtesy of a debut goal for 18-year-old midfielder, Brenden Aaronson, whose low shot deflected off Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and into the bottom corner of Brad Guzan’s net.