Atlanta United 2 pummeled by FC Cincinnati

ATL UTD 2 hosted FC Cincinnati Wednesday night at Coolray Field and took a 5-1 loss. (photo: Padraig O’Dea)

Atlanta United 2 – 1 FC Cincinnati – 5
Atlanta United 2 lost 5-1 to FC Cincinnati Wednesday night at Coolray Field. The mid-week match featured the top team in the USL extending their amazing unbeaten streak to 14 matches. ATL UTD 2 goal was only the third goal in the last nine matches.

FC Cincinnati head coach Alan Koch gave his thoughts on the match, “That wasn’t going to be easy tonight. Coming in and playing on that surface and in this environment against a team that had good players, on the road, was never going to be easy.” He finished the thought with, “but the guys did a very good job of that tonight.”

ATL UTD 2 head coach Scott Donnelly tried a new formation. He started with two strikers up top with some success. After the match he said, “We wanted to give our team a little more dynamic look, and the other part of it is that it’s good for our players to have to take on new information, new tactics.” He concluded the thought with, “the other part of that is that I believe it gave Cincinnati problems, we just didn’t have enough quality in key moments to make what we created count.”

ATL UTD 2 defender Shawn Nicklaw spoke to the difference between the two sides, “We were unfortunate today that they were the better side and they just finished their chances. That’s the reason why they’re on top of the league right now. They’re dangerous going forward and they capitalize on mistakes, so we just have to continue to learn from our mistakes and go from there.”

Nicklaw, the goal scorer, did see some positives, “There’s glimpses of our identity and we’re going forward. You could tell we were taking it to them toward the end of the first half and a little bit in the second half as well. We just need to be more clinical in the final third.”

Scoring

Atlanta United 2 – 0 FC Cincinnati – 1 – Corben Bone (Emery Welshman) 18’
Emery Welshman lays off a pass to Corben Bone who fired a shot from 15 yards out, which deflected off an Atlanta defender and past ATL UTD 2 goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt.

Atlanta United 2 – 0 FC Cincinnati – 2 – Nazmi Albadawi (Jimmy McLaughlin) 25’
Emery Welshman entered the attacking third from the left flank and crossed the ball across the box to Jimmy McLaughlin. McLaughlin played a pass behind him to Nazmi Albadawi, who slotted a right-footed shot past an outstretched Hildebrandt to extend the FCC lead

Atlanta United 2 – 0 FC Cincinnati – 3 – Fatai Alashe 53’
Emery Welshman’s cross found Albadawi who struck a volley that was saved by Hildebrandt. Fatai Alashe was in position to finish the rebound opportunity and score his first goal for FC Cincinnati.

Atlanta United 2 – 0 FC Cincinnati – 4 – Nazmi Albadawi 55’
Emery Welshman dribbled along the end line and sent a cross to Nazmi Albadawi who took the right-footed shot near the top of the area for a brace.

Atlanta United 2 – 1 FC Cincinnati – 4 – Shawn Nicklaw (Jon Gallagher) 66’
Shawn Nicklaw took a right-footed shot from more than 30 yards out and found the upper-right corner of the net to beat Richey, who was out off his line after the ball was cleared initially

Atlanta United 2 – 1 FC Cincinnati – 5 – Emery Welshman (Russell Cicerone) 87’
Nazmi Albadawi rounded ATL UTD 2 goalie Mitch Hildebrandt. He played a ball Justin Hoyte whose shot was headed away at the line by the ATL UTD 2 defense. The defense failed to clear their lines and the ball fell to Russell Cicerone who centered it for Emery Welshman who lofted the shot over the defensive wall.

Personnel Details

Local talent, Tyler Ruthven made the start and his debut after signing with the ATL UTD 2 on August 14th.

Shawn Nicklaw scored his first goal of the season. He had another shot very similar to this goal eaelier in the season here at Coolray Field that was determined to be an own-goal do to the deflection it took off a defender.

George Bello returned to action after a long recover from a hip injury. ATL UTD 2 head coach head coach Scott Donnelly talked about George Bello’s contribution to the attack even as defender, “George as a left back almost gives you an extra midfielder or attacking player on the pitch. His ability to eliminate one player consistently is very good. Once he eliminates that first player, now somebody else has to come out to deal with him, which is going to open the space elsewhere. It’s a special talent that he has. His ability to contribute on the attacking side of the ball is special.”

Atlanta United defender George Bello in action with ATL UTD 2 versus FC Cincinnati Wednesday night at Coolray Field. (photo: Padraig O’Dea)

Line-ups

Atlanta United 2

GK: Mitch Hildebrandt
Defenders (4): George Bello (Lagos Kunga – 66’), AJ Cochran, Tyler Ruthven, Shawn Nicklaw
Midfielders(4): Andrew Kendall-Moullin, Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu (Kevin Barajas – 61’), Laurent Kissiedou (Dylan Gaither – 80’), Jack Metcalf
Forward (2): Devon Sandoval, Jon Gallagher

Unused Substitutes

Nico Caraux, Paul Christensen

FC Cincinnati

GK: Spencer Richey
Defenders (4): Justin Hoyte, Pa Konate (Blake Smith – 61’), Forrest Lasso, Dekel Keinan
Midfielders (2): Fatai Alashe (Michael Lahoud – 70’), Kenney Walker
Midfielders (3): Corben Bone (Russell Cicerone – 55’), Nazmi Albadawi, Jimmy McLaughlin
Forwards (1): Emery Welshman

Unused Substitutes