May 4, 2021
Chester, PA
After losing 0-3 at home on April 27, 2021, Atlanta United FC was a long shot for moving onto the Concacaf Champions League semi-final. The 1-1 draw on the second leg at Subaru Park means that the Philadelphia Union advances to the semi-final on an overall score of 4-1.
Atlanta practiced the same aggressive game plan it used in the prior Concacaf home game. For the entire game, Atlanta held on to 69% possession, but was outshot by Philadelphia 22-9 (on goal, 5-4). Chippy play was seen by both teams, even though the Union had four yellow cards to a lone card shown to Atlanta.
Atlanta scored first, two minutes into stoppage time in the first half. Santiago Sosa (assisted by Marcelino Moreno) scored from the left side, just nipping the bottom right corner of the goal. right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner.
Missed chances seem like a familiar refrain for Philadelphia so far this year, and there were plenty of them in both halves of the game. But at the eighty-ninth minute, Philadelphia’s Kacper Przybylko converted a lovely, curving cross from Cory Burke to the high center of goal. Another missed chance would not have changed the outcome for the Union, but it does mean that Przybylko has scored in every Concacaf outing so far.
A special shout-out is due to Leon Flach, who shouldered the “bottom of the diamond” responsibilities in the wake of José Martínez’s “yellow card accumulation” hiatus.
Philadelphia’s Jakob Glesnes eyeing the ball off his shoulder, surrounded by Olivier Mbaizo and Atlanta’s Josef Martinez and George Bello.
The Union’s Anthony Fontana interwoven with Atlanta’s Emerson Hyndman.
Leon Flach did a yeoman’s job in covering for the card-heavy Martinez
Przybylko trying to garner the ball from Atlanta’s Anton Walkes, with Sergio Santos looking on.
The Union’s Jack Elliott following Atlanta’s Jake Mulraney step for step.
Fontana defending Atlanta’s No. 10, Marcelino Moreno.
Atlanta’s Sosa’s shot squirted by just to the right of the stretched out Andre Blake.
This was Glesnes’s missed chance, whose header lifted above the crossbar.
MbIzo jumped into Przybylko’s goal celebration.
After the game Coach Curtin had something to say to Atlanta’s coach, Gabriel Heinze.
