90min
·8 May 2022
90min
·8 May 2022
Atlanta United put their recent winless run behind them with a resounding 4-1 victory at home to the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening.
The Five Stripes had picked up just a single point from their previous four MLS matches and were in desperate need of some inspiration at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Inspiration was something they certainly weren't short of as Ronaldo Cisneros helped himself to a first-half hat-trick to give Gonzalo Pineda's men a 3-1 half-time lead. It's the first time an Atlanta United player has scored a hat-trick in MLS play since Josef Martinez did so on July 21, 2018, while Cisneros is only the club's third player to do so - alongside Martinez and Miguel Almiron.
Chinonso Offor had equalized at 1-1 for the Fire in the 11th minute, but his effort proved to be a mere consolation.
The opening 45 minutes and, indeed, the entire match was unfortunately overshadowed as center-back and United States international Miles Robinson was stretchered off with what looks like a serious injury to his left leg. The 25-year-old went down under no contact as he cleared the ball early in the game.
Atlanta United managed to put that setback behind them to control the second half, and even made it 4-1 in the dying moments with Brooks Lennon firing home an emphatic finish. Pineda will be thrilled with his team's attacking performance, especially from the quartet of Cisneros, Luiz Araujo, Thiago Almada, and Marcelino Moreno.
GK: Bobby Shuttleworth - 6/10 - Helpless for the Fire goal. Safe and steady otherwise. RB: Brooks Lennon - 8/10 - Put in a ton of dangerous crosses. Didn't cover himself in glory on the Chicago goal but made up for it with one of his own at the end. CB: Alan Franco - 7/10 - Lost sight of Offor for the goal, but put in an otherwise much-improved performance. Came up with some big interceptions and clearances.CB: Miles Robinson - 6/10 - Stretchered off after just 16 minutes with what looks like a serious injury to his left leg. The fitness issues continue to mount for Atlanta United. LB: Andrew Gutman - 6/10 - Allowed Offor to get ahead of him for Chicago's equalizer, but made up for it with some scintilating attacking play. Should have had at least one goal, but came up with the finishing of a left-back. CM: Matheus Rossetto - 8/10 - Passed the ball with supreme accuracy and had an innate understanding of when to speed things up and when to slow it down. CM: Franco Ibarra - 7/10 - Looked like he was going to follow Miles Robinson off the pitch but was able to carry on. That was to Atlanta's benefit as Ibarra made the tackle that led to their second goal, and started the move for the third.RW: Luiz Araujo - 9/10 - One assist barely tells the story for Araujo, who created four chances, won seven of his 11 ground duels, and proved himself a menace for the Chicago defense all evening. He's back, and he's back in style. CAM: Thiago Almada - 8/10 - One giveaway in a dangerous area apart, Almada was sensational again. Slipped a through ball to set up Cisneros for his hat-trick and popped up all over the pitch both with and without the ball. LW: Marcelino Moreno - 8/10 - As he so often does, Moreno glued the Atlanta United attack together with his driving runs and quick passing. Was heavily involved in post of his team's best moments and created two chances.ST: Ronaldo Cisneros - 10/10 - Completed a stunning hat-trick with three very different goals: one an emphatic finish at the end of a gorgeous team move, another staying alert for a rebound, and the third keeping his composure to round Gabriel Slonina. Unbelievable performance. SUB: Alex De John (16', for Robinson) - 7/10 - A rare and unexpected MLS outing, but De John stepped up with a secure defensive performance. SUB: Emerson Hyndman (67', for Moreno) - 7/10 - Steady and secure with the ball, made a great run behind the Chicago defense in the build-up to the fourth goal. SUB: Caleb Wiley (67', for Gutman) - 6/10 - Only on the pitch for 14 minutes before he, too, was forced out through injury. SUB: Ronald Hernandez (81', Wiley) - 7/10 - Made a couple of important blocks and used the ball well. SUB: Santiago Sosa (81', for Ibarra) - 7/10 - Made sure to get well involved on and off the ball despite having little time on the pitch.
GK: Gabriel Slonina - 4/10 - A challenging night for Slonina. Helpless for two of Atlanta United's goals, but perhaps could have done more for the second instead of diverting the ball to Cisneros. RB: Boris Sekulic - 5/10 - Had a tough match as Atlanta United piled bodies down their left flank. Managed a couple of decent moments on the ball. CB: Carlos Teran - 5/10 - Got through a lot of defensive work but was overpowered by the Atlanta United attack. CB: Wyatt Omsberg - 5/10 - Like his center-back partner, Omsberg couldn't get to grips with the Five Stripes' star-studded forward line.LB: Miguel Navarro - 6/10 - Was a decent attacking outlet for the Fire but found himself pinned back too much by Lennon. CM: Federico Navarro - 5/10 - Caused some trouble with his passing but was overrun by an energetic Atlanta United midfield. CM: Mauricio Pineda - 6/10 - Progressed the ball well but had to get through a lot of defending, stifling his ability to contribute further forward. RW: Stanislav Ivanov - 5/10 - Showed a couple of flashes of quality, but didn't test Andrew Gutman anywhere near enough and allowed the left-back freedom to push forward.CAM: Xherdan Shaqiri - 7/10 - Whipped in a great cross for Chicago's goal but was mostly kept quiet otherwise. LW: Brian Gutierrez - 4/10 - Had one moment of class where he escaped pressure and shot just wide. Otherwise, was a passenger, barely touching the ball and giving it away when he did. Replaced at half-time. ST: Chinonso Offor - 8/10 - Grabbed a confidence-boosting goal and battled hard against the Atlanta United defense. A promising, lively performance from the young Nigerian. SUB: Chris Mueller (46', for Gutierrez) - 3/10 - Booked for diving inside the Atlanta United penalty area and was restricted to half-chances. SUB: Fabian Herbers (63', for Ivanov) - 5/10 - Created one chance but was otherwise ineffective. SUB: Victor Bezerra (81', for Offor) - 5/10 - Didn't get into the game. SUB: Jhon Espinoza (90+2', for M. Navarro) - N/A - Brought on right at the end.