3 thoughts on Atlanta United's Open Cup win over Chattanooga
Sometimes it's just nice to see one go in.
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Atlanta United picked up their second win of 2026 with a 3-1 win over Chattanooga FC in the U.S. Open Cup round of 32 on Wednesday night. In what started out in a nightmarish fashion, eventually turned into a pretty straightforward away cup win over a lower-division opponent. Was it anything impressive or flashy? Absolutely not. But sometimes when you’re struggling, it’s just nice to see the ball go in the hole.
The win earns the Five Stripes a date with Charlotte FC in the round of 16 at some point in the future, I’m too lazy to look it up.
Yes, we know a win over an MLS Next Pro side isn’t going to turn the season around or provide a huge boost of momentum. But here are a few quick thoughts on what we may have gleaned from this experimental 90 minutes and some stuff you may have missed if you don’t subscribe to the streaming service that shows the spin-off of a Big Bang Theory prequel.
You Knew This Was Coming
I’m going to level with you here. It was a complete 50/50 tossup as to whether I was going to commit two hours of my life to watch this match. The deciding factor was always going to be Tata’s lineup choices. If Jay Fortune’s name was in the starting XI, I was going to be there.
Thankfully it was and I did not regret my decision. He got a full 90 minutes under his belt and showed some signs of the player who was at the peak of his confidence and ability about 11 months ago before suffering the brutal foot injury in the Gold Cup.
While it’s clear he’s still not fully up to speed, he proved in this match that even at 60-75 percent, he’s still a dynamic threat if given the chance. His CM partnership with Matias Galarza was far and away the most exciting development in the first 45 minutes of the match. They were easily the two best players on the field and gave the team an element of danger in and around the opponent’s 18-yard box.
The equalizing goal came from Jay bursting past a defender to get to the end line and playing a great ball across goal for a Togashi tap-in. Galarza did a lot of the same type of stuff without the same end result.
In my mind, it’s absolutely clear that this partnership is the best possible one for an attacking mindset. If this team is serious about scoring goals and playing on the front foot, this has to be the pairing when the team is at full capabilities.
Tata had this to say about what Fortune adds to the team’s midfield:
“Team play, the ability to interpret what every play needs. He’s a player with enormous qualities who recently now we’re having the possibility to have him back fully.” - Tata Martino on Jay Fortune
The Negatives
It wouldn’t be a post-match column without some concerns. Let’s talk about them. Firstly … Juan Berrocal, get ready to learn Spanish, buddy.
(This is a joke, I know he’s from Spain. Please laugh.)
What is there to say that hasn’t been said already? The guy is just brutal defensively. He’s slow, unaware, and walking hole in the defensive structure. He may play some nice line-breaking passes from time-to-time, but it’s clear he’s been a nightmare of a loan signing. If he’s not sent back to Getafe in the summer, I’ll be stunned.
Then there’s Miggy, who started the match on the bench, came on at halftime and only lasted 25 minutes before being subbed off with a knee issue. Tata said post-match that it was just a precaution and he should be fine, but still this is yet another worry to throw on top of the pile when it comes to his effectiveness.
An aging player who isn’t producing tangible results and is one of the highest paid players in the league now has injury concerns. It’s about as bad of a combination as you could imagine for a Designated Player.
The Positives
Aside from the aforementioned CM pairing, there were some other aspects to be intrigued by from this performance. Fafa Picault playing as a true winger was an interesting dynamic we haven’t seen much of at all around here in a while. He was constantly pulled out wide stuck to the touchline and it opened up a ton of space for the likes of Galarza, Jay, and Pedro move into and create. This team’s wingers are so narrow and ineffective that just having someone stay on the touchline to provide width was a noticeable and positive wrinkle.
Jayden Hibbert looked incredibly fine. He made the saves he was supposed to make and didn’t have any Yakety Sax moments in distribution or in the box. He’s more than ready for the job whenever someone wants to let him have it.
It was nice seeing Pedro get 90 minutes. He put in some good service into the box and got the goal to kill off the match. He’s still a quality player that Tata needs to find a way to get on the field more often.
Overall, it was just nice to see the team win a match they were supposed to win. It wasn’t overly inspiring or exciting, but it was a lot better than getting embarrassed again. Maybe it’ll somehow lead to Tata finding some new lineup ideas and giving some players chances in bigger moments in the future. We can only hope.
Yeah, it was a third-tier MLS Next side but I’m happy to take any good news I can get at this point, too (and I laughed at the joke, for what’s that worth)