ATLANTA, GEORGIA— Playing without its head coach and two top players proved to be too much to bear for the Atlanta United FC.
This scenario developed after the visiting United suffered a 1-0 defeat at hands of New York City FC at the Red Bull Arena on June 23.
Playing minus head coach Gabriel Heinze, star midfielder Emerson Hyndman and star striker Josef Martinez, United started strong in the first half against New York.
Heinze is not in the game due to a yellow card accumulation suspension.
Hyndman is out with an ACL injury while Martinez is playing for Venezuela in the ongoing Copa America tournament in Brazil.
Despite their strong plays, United was not able to penetrate the strong defensive wall of New York.
United veteran goalkeeper Brad Guzan played solid in the game as he tied his season-high with six saves.
Despite the strong defensive effort of Guzan, New York’s Ismael Tajouri-Shradi was able to score a goal in the 69th minute of the game.
The goal proved to be the winning goal for New York in the game.
United hopes to bounce back from their defeat when they host the New York Red Bulls at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 27.
