Atlanta United blown out at NYCFC

Offensively, when the game was still in play, Atlanta United’s Alexey Miranchuk hit the crossbar, Jamal Thiare had a penalty kick claim denied and committed an offsides that wiped out a goal. Atlanta United was shut out for the eighth time.

As has been the case most of the season, Atlanta United couldn’t create any breaks, and the turnover gifted NYCFC all it would need.

Atlanta United (4-9-5) remains winless on the road (0-6-2), winless at Yankee Stadium in the regular season (0-4-4) and in need of something it hasn’t shown much of in its remaining 16 matches if it wants to make the playoffs. It is eight points below the playoff line. Its next four matches are on the road, starting June 25 at Columbus.

Because Atlanta United had 10 first-teamers out for the past week on international duty, Deila was forced to patch together a lineup. Thiare and Saba Lobjanidze, who returned from duty with Georgia on Tuesday, started as the strikers. Miranchuk, Mateusz Klich and Will Reilly — making his second start — composed the midfield. The back five was Derrick Williams, Ronald Hernandez, Matthew Edwards, Lennon and Pedro Amador. Brad Guzan was in goal.

The bench featured six players who returned from international duty and flew into New York on Wednesday: Miguel Almiron, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Luke Brennan, Efrain Morales, Noah Cobb and Luis Abram.

NYCFC was also without several players, including leading scorer Alonso Martinez.

Thiare was taken down by NYCFC goalkeeper Tomas Romero in the 13th minute as both attempted to reach a pass from Miranchuk. Referee Sergii Boiko didn’t flinch. Thirty seconds later, it was recommended by VAR Jose Carlos Rivero that Boiko review the play. He again declined to give the penalty after a 2 ½-minute review.

Miranchuk hit the crossbar with a left-footed shot from 18 yards in the 32nd minute after a 1-2 exchange with Lennon on the right. It was Atlanta United’s first shot.

An Atlanta United goal was wiped off because of an offside by Thiare, who scored it, in the 37th minute. A header by Williams appeared to be going in but Thiare touched the ball with his right leg with only the goalkeeper in front of him.

Atlanta United was playing well until Lennon made a mistake, the same type of mental error committed by many on the team this season. The same type is why the team is off to the worst start in franchise history. The type that it worked for the past week to eliminate.

It started with Lennon chasing a ball over the top. He passed it to Guzan, who passed it back. Lennon turned to pass it to Edwards in the middle of the field but under hit the ball. Hannes Wolf, who was closer to Atlanta United’s goal and may not have been seen by Lennon, ran a few steps up the field and intercepted the pass. He played the ball to Maxi Moralez, who scored in the 44th minute.

It was the second consecutive match, and at least the fifth time this season, an Atlanta United player passed it to an opponent, or had the ball taken off their foot, resulting in a goal.

Atlanta United finished the half with four shots, two on goal, from three chances created. NYCFC finished with five shots, two on goal, from four chances created.

The second half started with, as Deila said, the team surrendering.

NYCFC increased its lead to 2-0 in the 55th minute when Mounsef Bakrar curled a right-footed shot into the upper right corner from 18 yards.

NYCFC took a 3-0 lead in the 57th minute when Wolf, given too much space by Lennon, hit a low shot into the lower right corner from 6 yards.

NYCFC took a 4-0 lead in the 59th minute when Wolf outran Williams and Edwards to a through ball. Guzan deflected Wolf’s shot, but it had enough pace to roll into the goal. The sequence started with a turnover in NYCFC’s defensive half. One pass by Justin Haak down the middle unlocked Atlanta United’s defense.

Deila said in two games against NYCFC this season, it has created eight chances from which it has seven goals.

He said surrendering is the correct descriptive because there could be no other answer after Atlanta United played so well in the first half until Lennon’s error. There’s no way that NYCFC should have scored three more goals unless his team gave up.

Williams left after the last goal with an undisclosed injury and Emmanuel Latte Lath, Noah Cobb and Luis Abram came on for him, Lobjanidze and Hernandez. Luke Brennan came on as a sub for his second appearance. Nyk Sessock came on as a sub for his MLS debut.

The four goals increased Atlanta United’s goals allowed to 34, second most in the league and the shutout increased its goal-difference to minus-13, fourth most in the league.

“We are better than opponents almost every time away, then you have to show character, you have to show discipline, you have to show communication, body language, information, and I see a team that is dying the longer the game goes, and that is painful to watch, and I’m responsible for that,” Deila said.