Purdy Purples Turn ATL UTD 2 Red, Black And Blue

ATLANTA UNITED II 1, LOUISVILLE CITY FC 4

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A 3 goal 1st half outburst followed by a less prolific though nonetheless dominant display in the 2nd was the formula for City to bring away all 3 points on the road in Atlanta and reinstall themselves 2nd in the USL Group A standings.

Their cause was aided by Pittsburgh Riverhounds dropping points in Charlotte. And close tailers Charleston Battery were turned over at home by Toronto FC ll.

Exactly one year ago, it was the eve of the 2017 FIFA Under 17 World Cup in India and coaching team John Hackworth and Scott Donnelly were preparing their USA squad for the wonderful experience.

Tonight, in both men’s debut USL seasons, they met as bosses of opposing sides in front of a sparse crowd, hardly reminiscent of the 46,000 plus their USYNT and host India drew in the tournament opener in New Delhi.

Also contrasting was the position in the standings each head coach found his new club team in: City in 3rd, and ATL UTD 2 3rd from bottom, although the latter had made their guests (under James O’Connor) struggle mightily to squeeze out 4 of the 6 points and an aggregate 3 vs 2 goals in their pair of meetings early in the season.

However, this match was to be one in which City would get it together and properly demonstrate their superiority in experience and caliber.

United 2 came out of the gate clearly this time intending to take the game to the Champs and they were to enjoy all of the early play, though without being able to offer any threat to the goal net of (injured) Greg Ranjitsingh deputy Tim Dobrowolski.

Both teams missed early half-chances, including a characteristic ”loosener” first free kick attempt by Cameron Lancaster in the 16th minute which he skied over the crossbar of Paul Christensen in the Atlanta goal.

In fact, with the single-season USL scoring record in sight he might have been observed by some as being a little too anxious over the course of the game, however his great value would be exhibited in how often he stretched and imperiled Atlanta in its own penalty area.

Jamaica international and former Battery striker Romario Williams nearly showed the way to do it 3 minutes later, ripping on goal his own free kick from just outside the area, but Tim was well positioned to fight it away for a corner.

In the 24th you could almost say Cameron was “robbed” when from a corner Oscar Jimenez sent in one of his patented flat drives straight to Niall McCabe at the near post. His neat flick-on was ticketed for Cameron’s head right out in front, but central defender AJ Cochran, alert to the danger though oblivious to consequences, came diving in head first to intercept, succeeding only in drilling the ball past his own ‘keeper – 1-0 to the Barrel Hoops.

Brian Ownby, making a welcome start, his first since the Indy Eleven match nearly 2 months ago, fed Niall whose shot slid narrowly wide of Christensen’s left-hand post.

Cameron, always a dangerous presence at the Atlanta end, received a ball Alexis Soahy poked away from, on this occasion, too-clever-for-his-own-good Romario, burst into the gap between the central defenders and side-footed for goal but Christensen thrust out a strong left boot to deny the league’s leading scorer.

The flurry of goalmouth action continued and Cameron, twisting and turning inside the area, attempted to shake seemingly the entire home defense, but instead of looking to find a teammate to lay off to he elevated the ball over the bar.

A follow-up goal for The Purples had been looking likely and in the 37th, Brian, operating effectively in the top left quarter rolled inside to Niall who turned and placed the ball into the area in ideal space for the Cincy-born swashbuckler Kyle Smith to run onto. In order to create the best angle for himself he went smartly back against the grain and inside José Hernández and with the prowess of a seasoned striker crashed a left-footer across Christensen and in to double the Louisville lead.

A minute later, Speedy Williams had a look from outside but directed his shot wide to the right of the goal, however shortly afterward he would send a ball out to Brian who used all of his guile to taunt full-back Jon Gallagher, reach the byline and cut back to cross delightfully for George Davis IV to fly in and head home once again from close in.

Amazingly, and relievedly, it was the 1st “Apple” for Brian in his 19th league appearance of the season.

City had been rampant against an Atlanta side that had not been working hard enough to compensate for its tactical and technical inferiority and the 3-0 halftime lead seemed as if it could easily double or more as the game went into the 2nd half.

Things settled down for a time however as City continued to assert its dominance with Atlanta looking to consolidate and work its way slowly back into the game.

In the 56th, after some useful passing sequences, Oscar took a ball from Paco Craig and tried his luck from outside on the left with a rocket that forced Christensen to tip over for a corner.

City continued to make most of the running and Brian crossed for a sliding and stretching Cameron who was able only to toe his shot wide.

The eager No. 9 was peppering the Atlanta goal and his 67th minute effort was deflected away by Cochran for a left wing corner which would lead up to the notching of a rather bizarre goal.

Oscar again sent his corner near post with Captain Paolo rising to nod goalward. The ball hopped up off the back of a ducking Alexis to Cameron who headed for goal as Hernández came off of his station on the post to intercept with his chest, only for the ball to instantly deflect again off the luckless AJ Cochran – once more finding himself in just the right place at a very wrong time – and past a down and out Christensen for City’s fortuitous 4th goal.

A brace of own goals seemed cruel on Atlanta, though a good deal of their problems had been created by the ominous presence of Cameron’s, and on the way play had run for the majority of the proceedings the scoreline was certainly not an unfair one.

Just 3 minutes later however, lone United 2 attacker Romario appeared to invoke his great, old-time Brazilian namesake when he redressed matters a little for the home side.

City had been doing an excellent job of owning the center of the park and restricting opposition possession to the wings, but now Speedy (the other) Williams was challenged by Lagos Kunga in midfield and lost the ball. It rolled back to Atlanta captain Jack Metcalf who lofted a ball that ought to have been headed clear by Alexis, but he misjudged the flight, leaving Romario, his mark, with only Paco to get by. He did so by turning on the jets, entering the box and firing left-footed back to the left of Tim and inside the post for the spoiler to the backup netminder’s bid for a 100% league shutout record in his 2nd appearance.

Paco had, in fact, reached out and got a piece of Romario on his way to goal, and it was probably just as well he did not disrupt his opponent’s progress as the concession of a goal at this point was infinitely preferable to the suspension that would have accompanied the automatic red card.

Atlanta would see few more chances to add to their tally, their best coming minutes after their goal when Romario produced a nifty piece of target play, spinning and sending a pass behind Alexis and into the path of substitute and Guam international Shawn Nicklaw but a very vigilant Tim was out quickly, diving at his feet to deny.

Rather than taking the foot of the pedal and pragmatically consolidating when leading, John Hackworth’s natural instinct is to bring on offense minded substitutes and pile on the pressure, and this was exemplified with the introductions of Ilija Ilić, Jonathan Lewis and Jose Carranza for Niall, Brian and Speedy, respectively.

Jose as a partner to Paolo DelPiccolo offers quite a different look, both in style and in the versatility of his positional play, though would seem to make for a logical exchange more so when goals are needed than when not. Still, he has performed well and certainly not hurt the team in any way whenever he has made it onto the field since his arrival in the middle of August. Moreover, he possesses the uncanny knack of appearing handily in odd places and also of winning free kicks and inflicting cards on opponents.

Few clear chances were created in the latter stages of the match, though in the final minute of the 90 a royal opportunity fell to Paco to round the night out at 5.

Jose, popping up on left wing, won another free kick and another yellow card, this on Metcalf. Oscar whipped in one more wicked ball that compelled Christensen to dive low to keep out, but he could only parry the ball. Right there in front was Paco and with the goal begging, though having to react within a split second, he lifted the ball over the goalkeeper but then off of the crossbar and away to the left.

The play was not over as Paolo managed the rebound and delivered directly back in to Ilija who deftly shuttled it behind himself right to where Jonathan was streaking in, but his power drive from 9 yards was somehow deflected wide by a defender and the Coopers’ crushes had to settle for 4-1.

This was yet another thorough dismantling of an albeit below par USL opponent.

It has been most satisfying of late to see The Purples continue to adhere dependably to game plans while simultaneously pouring in the goals and largely preventing them at their own end.

Their road form continues to be phenomenal and is now 3rd best in all of the USL (below only Cincinnati and Orange County), though with most goals scored and best goal differential.

Can this success be extended on Friday when the roadshow moves into Toronto in what shapes up to be probably the football club’s biggest redemption game of the season?!

Doubtlessly still smarting from the 1-4 dumping at the hand of TFC ll at Slugger only 5 weeks ago, Hack’s Heroes will be desperate (but not toooo desperate) to right the error of surely the most stunning turn-up in the USL in 2018.

There were identifiable reasons for that outcome – some circumstantial, some self-inflicted – which we all expect not to see reoccur as Lou City wraps up its away schedule for the regular season.

Go City!

~~~~~ Fun Footnotes ~~~~~

* Louisville’s “senior Cityzen” is Shaun Francis who on the night of the Atlanta United 2 game clocked in at 31 years, 362 days.