AUSTIN, Texas -- Playing in tortilla-making heat, Jamal Thiare’s goal in the second minute of stoppage time salvaged a 1-1 draw for Atlanta United at Austin on Wednesday.
With the temperature 92 degrees at kickoff, resulting in hydration breaks during the match, the Five Stripes failed to win their seventh consecutive match but did pick up a point as their franchise-worst start (2-6-5) continued.
“In the circumstances we are in, I’m very happy,” manager Ronny Deila said. “This is like we need to play away. We need to be disciplined, we need to be organized, we need to work really hard, and then we need to take our chances when we get them.”
Former Atlanta United striker Brandon Vazquez scored early in the second half to give Austin a lead. Atlanta United put just one shot on goal in response in the match’s remaining 36 minutes until Thiare scored from 2 yards, assisted by Saba Lobjanidze and Miguel Almiron. It was Thiare’s first goal this season, Almiron’s third assist and Lobjanidze’s fourth.
“These moments, that’s what we need,” Deila said. “Saba came in, had a moment. Jamal came in, very positive. So that’s that makes us stronger. So, we’re going to need to build on this for now.”
Atlanta United will attempt to break its winless streak when it hosts Philadelphia on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“We need to restitute everything we use every second of every day to get ready mentally and physically for Philadelphia,” Deila said.
Deila’s lineup was composed of striker Emmanuel Latte Lath, midfielders Almiron, Alexey Miranchuk, Bartosz Slisz and Mateusz Klich, wingbacks Matthew Edwards and Ronald Hernandez, centerbacks Derrick Williams, Noah Cobb and Luis Abram, and goalkeeper Brad Guzan. It was the second consecutive match that Delia elected to play with three centerbacks. Deila was without injured starters Stian Gregersen, Brooks Lennon and Pedro Amador.
The temperature felt like 98 degrees at kickoff, according to The Weather Channel.
Atlanta United started better than it has in its past matches. It had the game’s first three shots on goal, including Almiron being denied by goalkeeper Brad Stuver in a one-on-one in the eighth minute.
Austin rebounded, putting the last three shots on goal. Austin took 11 shots from its nine chances created. Atlanta United took six from its six chances created. Austin finished with 1.0 expected goals. Atlanta United finished with 0.5.
The temperature to start the second half was 88 degrees and felt like 95 at 9:12 p.m.
Austin took a 1-0 lead on a 25-yard free kick by Vazquez in the 55th minute. His right-footed strike went over the wall and into the upper right corner of Guzan’s goal.
Deila subbed in Jay Fortune for Hernandez, Jamal Thiare for Latte Lath and Tristan Muyumba for Klich after the goal. Lobjanidze replaced Williams in the 69th minute, which required a formation change to a back four.
It was the same change the team made in last week’s match at Chicago. Trailing 1-0, Atlanta United got a tying goal but then collapsed and lost 2-1.
That it made the formation change again at Austin, and again got the tying goal but this time denied the host’s a final chance to win, was huge, Deila said.
“I think we were the strongest team in the last 20 minutes, and that’s positive,” Deila said. “Shows that we have it. We just need to believe in ourselves. We need to go out there and play free. When you have nothing to lose, you go for it. You see that everything is possible. So this is good learning for us, and so important that we get something from this.”
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