Speaker 1: This is time, come on the mat. This time is
Speaker 1: games up, seppings away in the games.
Speaker 2: On the last in my mind, beating the buzzer like
Speaker 2: this is my time.
Speaker 1: This is Welcome to the twos review on the SDH network.
Speaker 1: I'm Jason Longshore and I'm still trying to catch my
Speaker 1: breath after one of the more chaotic matches in recent
Speaker 1: memory for Atlanta United too. And this is a team
Speaker 1: that has lived and breathed chaos over the years. This
Speaker 1: one goes on the list that might be a special
Speaker 1: twos review at some point this season of the most
Speaker 1: chaotic moments in Atlanta United two history, this one makes
Speaker 1: the list. It was a three to two win for
Speaker 1: New York City FC two over Atlanta United. To here
Speaker 1: in Athens, Georgia, the Turner Soccer Complex on the campus
Speaker 1: of the University of Georgia, well not quite on the campus,
Speaker 1: close to the campus of the University of Georgia, a
Speaker 1: little bit different surroundings because of the field conditions at
Speaker 1: Kennesas State at Fifth Third Stadium, So the twos get
Speaker 1: to play in air quotes at home here for a
Speaker 1: one o'clock kick on a Friday afternoon. We had hydration
Speaker 1: breaks multiple in each half. We had four hydration breaks
Speaker 1: in total at the fifteen and thirty minute marks of
Speaker 1: each half. We played fifteen minutes of stoppage time in
Speaker 1: the second half due to a whole variety of shenanigans
Speaker 1: and things and happenings, and Atlanta United two comes up
Speaker 1: on the wrong end of a three to result the stats.
Speaker 1: Let's start with the goals. It started very very early
Speaker 1: for Rodrigo Nari second minute, about sixty five seconds into
Speaker 1: the game. He had a chance twenty seconds into the
Speaker 1: game and there he got another one and put it home.
Speaker 1: He opened the scoring, made it one nil Atlanta. New
Speaker 1: York City leveled it in the twenty ninth minute Nico
Speaker 1: Cavallo with a great finish with the inside of the
Speaker 1: right foot to the far post, off the hand of
Speaker 1: jad and Hibbert that made it one one. Went to halftime,
Speaker 1: and then a ten minute span in the second half,
Speaker 1: New York City scored twice a penalty that was a
Speaker 1: crazy sequence. Seymour Reid put the penalty home. The sequence
Speaker 1: before that was extremely strange. It was a turnover from
Speaker 1: Moyses to Blante, then to Blante doubled back to defend
Speaker 1: knocked it away. It gets through Armis and Masa Fero,
Speaker 1: and they both are scrambling to try to get on it.
Speaker 1: They end up up ending Julian Lacker. He draws the penalty.
Speaker 1: Reid puts it home. That's the fifty fifth minute. It's
Speaker 1: two to one. Reid got another one in the sixty fifth,
Speaker 1: barely on side with a three ball from NYC. Reid
Speaker 1: put that one home, scooping it over Jade and Hibbert.
Speaker 1: That made it three to one. Looked like at that point,
Speaker 1: maybe things are gonna be the way of the Squabs.
Speaker 1: I know the Pigeons are the first team, the Squabs.
Speaker 1: They have a squab on the shirt for the second team.
Speaker 1: Full credit to them for that. We call them the
Speaker 1: squabs around here. They have the three to one lead.
Speaker 1: Rodrigo Nari eight minutes after Reid made it three to one,
Speaker 1: he gets his second smashes it inside on the near post.
Speaker 1: No chance for mac Learned the goalkeeper to save it.
Speaker 1: That was the seventy third that made it three to two.
Speaker 1: Then everything imaginable happened in the last fifteen minutes or so.
Speaker 1: Then fifteen more minutes of stoppage time was added. Fourteen
Speaker 1: on the clock and then he added an extra minute,
Speaker 1: probably could have added two or three more minutes and
Speaker 1: didn't and it ended up finishing three to two. There
Speaker 1: was a red card in the one hundred and fourth minute,
Speaker 1: yes to Johnny Lopez, Jonathan Lopez, the substitute for New
Speaker 1: York City, and he could be facing a suspension for
Speaker 1: a while going head to head with Nick Sessek on
Speaker 1: his way off the field. That delayed things for quite
Speaker 1: a while and maybe should have had more time because
Speaker 1: that foul. Have to go back and look at it.
Speaker 1: I feel like there was at least ninety seconds on
Speaker 1: the clock of what should have been left at that point,
Speaker 1: and that was the last play of the game. New
Speaker 1: York City was able to clear what could have been
Speaker 1: a penalty. By the way, with Moys's tablante fouled, it
Speaker 1: looked like he was shoved once he got inside the box.
Speaker 1: The foul was called outside for the initial contact. Armis
Speaker 1: put the free kick in, it was headed away and
Speaker 1: that did it eventually here in Athens, Yeah, it was
Speaker 1: that chaotic. I don't feel like I'm exaggerating too much.
Speaker 1: Let's hear from Atlanta United to manager Steve Cook, right
Speaker 1: after the match. Here's my conversation with him. Crazy game
Speaker 1: here in Athens today, early, early goal, then New York
Speaker 1: City scores three, then you guys fight back into it.
Speaker 1: Just what are the emotions after that one finishes?
Speaker 2: I feel like a broken record. I'm disappointed for the
Speaker 2: players because they played so so well, created so many
Speaker 2: opportunities in the first half. I counted three to four big,
Speaker 2: big ch answers. But when it's one nil and you
Speaker 2: miss one and then you miss a second and the
Speaker 2: third and they're pretty standard chances and maybe a lack
Speaker 2: of confidence, you know, you invite to other team forward.
Speaker 2: We didn't do well in a transition and that got
Speaker 2: the game level. And I think if we'd have put
Speaker 2: the game away in the first thirty minutes, that would
Speaker 2: have been it. And you know, from then on we've
Speaker 2: played pretty well. Given the ball away in bad spaces
Speaker 2: for their goals. But credit to the players. They kept rolling,
Speaker 2: they kept going and probably should have had three and
Speaker 2: four and five goals, and that we're all saying, again,
Speaker 2: what if you know, but at some point you have
Speaker 2: to execute.
Speaker 1: It feels like it's so close to breaking that way
Speaker 1: for you guys. If there's one thing you could tweak
Speaker 1: to make that happen.
Speaker 2: What would it be? One thing I could tweak if
Speaker 2: I could wish on a start, it would be to
Speaker 2: give players confidence, especially when they missed chances. And it's
Speaker 2: called self confidence because it comes from the self. They
Speaker 2: have to believe in themselves. They have to say to themselves,
Speaker 2: it doesn't matter, I'm going to get on with it,
Speaker 2: keep demanding the ball in tight spaces, keep having the
Speaker 2: courage to go again and get the ball in difficult moments,
Speaker 2: and really literally say to themselves that I want to
Speaker 2: be brave. I'm going to be full of courage and
Speaker 2: I'm going to risk everything to score goals. And I
Speaker 2: think that is what I would I think that is
Speaker 2: the only thing that I would change about the things
Speaker 2: that we're doing.
Speaker 1: And back here on Wednesday for another match. Just how
Speaker 1: was the experience coming over to Athens and playing here.
Speaker 2: I think when you look at this place, it's first class.
Speaker 2: You know, this is what the league should look like.
Speaker 2: The surface is amazing. The staff here have been nothing
Speaker 2: but exemplary. They're amazing people. I think our staff as well.
Speaker 2: When I look at Juliana Rubin and you look at
Speaker 2: Kenley Nobles, who's literally turned over the world to get
Speaker 2: this going in difficult circumstances. For us all we've been
Speaker 2: on the road a lot. But Juliana Kennley, the work
Speaker 2: they've done to make this happen for these players is
Speaker 2: unbelievable and they deserve more credit than any of us.
Speaker 2: And again to the University of Georgia, thank you, because
Speaker 2: this is a top class facility for players to really
Speaker 2: go and express themselves and learn the game. It's the
Speaker 2: best field in the league. It's probably the greatest environment
Speaker 2: in the league. It's absolutely first class. So University of Georgia,
Speaker 2: thank you very much. Juliana Kennelly, thank you so much,
Speaker 2: because their work is unbelievable and we're here to try
Speaker 2: and put on a show for everybody and play well
Speaker 2: and execute, and I think the players have done that
Speaker 2: except for the final moment.
Speaker 1: Atlanta United two will be back here in Athens on
Speaker 1: Wednesday for a five o'clock kick. John Nelson and Madison
Speaker 1: Cruiz will have the call for you.
Speaker 2: Then.
Speaker 1: Final stats between Atlanta and NYC. Atlanta outshot the Squabs
Speaker 1: twenty to twelve shots on target eight six Atlanta block
Speaker 1: shots for one Atlanta. Atlanta had more of the possession,
Speaker 1: They had the better passing accuracy at eighty seven percent.
Speaker 1: Three corners to in u ycs, four goalkeeper saves, three
Speaker 1: for Jaden Hibbert and six for Mac Learned of NYC
Speaker 1: fouls fifteen eleven. There were only nine fouls called in
Speaker 1: the first half, ends up with twenty six a much
Speaker 1: more hectic second half. Fifteen fouls committed by Atlanta, eleven
Speaker 1: committed by NYC. Yellow cards were three apiece and two
Speaker 1: yellows for Jonathan Lopez. He saw red and, like I said,
Speaker 1: maybe we'll see more after going head to head with
Speaker 1: Nick Sassek afterwards. Big thank you to Steve Cook, Big
Speaker 1: thank you to everybody with Atlanta United two for having
Speaker 1: us here and having us back on Wednesday. Atlanta United
Speaker 1: two is right there. Just my final thoughts on this
Speaker 1: edition of the twos review. We talked about it beforehand.
Speaker 1: They're right there in terms of the Eastern Conference, they're
Speaker 1: right there in terms of these games breaking their way.
Speaker 1: They have as many draws as they have wins and
Speaker 1: losses combined. It's been so close for this team. Last game,
Speaker 1: the one nil loss at Red Bull very close. It's
Speaker 1: a deflected goal that ends up beating them. They're missing
Speaker 1: a bunch of players right now, but as Steve Cook said,
Speaker 1: you're still getting the opportunities to put games away, and
Speaker 1: they did not, And they had the chances to do
Speaker 1: it and they did not convert. That's such a tough
Speaker 1: spot when you're at this level and you're trying to
Speaker 1: prove yourself for the next level, and you're trying to
Speaker 1: maybe force that belief in yourself to get to the
Speaker 1: next level. When chances are not falling, sometimes doubt creeps in.
Speaker 1: It felt like that happened a little bit in the
Speaker 1: first half. New York City took full advantage. Atlanta didn't
Speaker 1: put the game away. Like I said, there were two
Speaker 1: chances for Natri within sixty five seconds. One of them's
Speaker 1: in the back of the net. Felt like Atlanta could
Speaker 1: just run this up and run In Yc out of it,
Speaker 1: but they hung around. They end up turning the game.
Speaker 1: Full credit to the Squabs for doing that. Atlanta fought
Speaker 1: back into it, and that's been their story all season long.
Speaker 1: This has been a team that has battled and fought
Speaker 1: and had to deal with all kinds of chaos, but
Speaker 1: they come up on the losing end of it today
Speaker 1: a three two loss to New York City FC two.
Speaker 1: Like I said, John Nelson and Madison Cruse will take
Speaker 1: you through Wednesday's match here in Athens. Pregame coverage will
Speaker 1: start at four to thirty. Kick will be just after five.
Speaker 1: First team will be facing not the Squabs but the
Speaker 1: Pigeons of New York City next Thursday at Yankee Stadium.
Speaker 1: Mike Contie and I will be their Pregame coverage will
Speaker 1: start at six thirty with Abe Gordon and Madison Cruz.
Speaker 1: Kickoff will be at seven forty from the House that
Speaker 1: is the second successor to the house that Ruth built
Speaker 1: Yankee Stadium, NYC and Atlanta United next Thursday night. Thank
Speaker 1: you so much for spending some time with me this afternoon,
Speaker 1: for the match and for this edition of the twos Review.
Speaker 1: Audios everybody,