Stellar performances from Atlanta United's most consistent performers - Giorgos Giakoumakis and Thiago Almada - helped the Five Stripes pick up huge three points on the road against Seattle Sounders.
Atlanta were the better side for most of the game, which is surprising given their poor record away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2023 (the win at Seattle was their third road win in MLS), but the visitors were deserving of a win at Lumen Field.
In the first 45, the Five Stripes appeared to have found a new lease on life. New signings Tristan Muyumba and Xande Silva (on loan from Dijon) were exceptional in their MLS debuts. Muyumba had control of the midfield, displaying great skill with ease, while Silva's blistering pace was a nightmare for the Sounders backline coupled with his adept passing and dribbling.
While the final score was only 2-0, it could've been three or four alone in the first half. Seattle did have some strong moments at the end of the first 45 and the beginning of the second half, but Atlanta kept a clean sheet for the first time since July 8 when they edged CF Montreal, 1-0.
"I felt that we have been working very hard, the staff and players, in certain things that were important from now on. Try to get a push to make top-four and playoffs. Today we showed that we can do it. There were moments that were better, there were moments where we lost control in the final minutes of the first half," said head coach Gonzalo Pineda.
"[The] first 20-30 minutes of second half, they were on top of us. We couldn’t connect the passes like we do, so we can correct that. But overall, it was a good performance and a well deserved three points."
Giakoumakis, who's now up to 12 goals on the year in just 1,063 minutes (that works out to just over one goal per game), found the back of the net twice with two excellent headed goals. Brooks Lennon notched his eighth assist in 2023, while Almada showed his quality yet again with another assist to bring his count to 11.
Pineda, like a lot of Atlanta supporters, was pleased with the performances from Silva and Muyumba: "I thought they looked really good. Those two are impactful players. They impacted right away without much adaption. It was good to have three weeks to work with them and work on our principles. They are good players and adapt very well," he said.
The Five Stripes still have to two more signings to integrate into the side, with Jamal Thiare and Saba Lobzhanidze still waiting to make their debuts with the club.
"... Then two more signings are coming, so I’m happy for that and hopefully they can be as impactful as Xande [Silva] and Tristan [Muyumba]."
Atlanta, now seventh in the East with 38 points, returns to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for more MLS action against Eastern Conference and southern rivals Nashville SC on August 26.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Thiago Almada, Giorgos Giakoumakis propel Atlanta United to 2-0 triumph over Seattle Sounders.
