Columbus Crew vs. Atlanta United: Player Ratings

Grading the performances of the Five Stripes in their 2024 season opener.

via Atlanta United

Atlanta United opened the 2024 season with a tough 1-0 defeat away to the defending MLS Cup champions, Columbus Crew. A slow start from the Five Stripes saw them get utterly dominated in the first half. The hosts took advantage of their hold on play by grabbing a goal through Cucho Hernandez.

The second half was a different story, as Atlanta came out looking much improved after a penalty save by Brad Guzan. Despite finally generating some pressure and chances, they just couldn’t produce one moment of end product to find an equalizer.

Losing the first match of the season is never fun. But the circumstances of having to play perhaps the best team in the league away from home was always going to be a tough proposition. The Crew were the better team on the afternoon and fully deserved the win. However, there were some bright spots for Atlanta.

Here is my take on how the players did individually.

Player Ratings

GK: Brad Guzan - 8

Not much he could’ve done on the goal as he had to react quickly to push the cross away. Unfortunately the rebound fell to a wide open Cucho at the far post. His big contribution came via a saved penalty shortly after halftime. A nice diving save to deny Cucho his second goal. Not only did he make a good save, that moment turned the momentum of the match.

LB: Caleb Wiley - 5

It was an overall sloppy match for Caleb. He struggled to build out of the back, being credited with 16 possessions lost. The width of the Crew gave both fullbacks fits all day and Wiley was unable to close down some opportunities. Going forward, he didn’t offer a ton. He had three dribble attempts, none of which were credited as being successful.

CB: Derrick Williams - 6

Williams had a solid debut, but not spectacular. One glaring passing error in the first half led to a clear cut chance for the Crew. Other than that, he did well to recover when they attempted to get in behind with over the top balls. Some fine emergency defending inside the box also stifled a few attacks.

CB: Stian Gregersen - 5

In the same vein as Williams, it was an okay debut for Stian. Unfortunately, I have to knock a point off his rating due to conceding a penalty. It was an arguable call, but in the end, it was from behind and contact was made without any on the ball. Aside from that incident, he showed some glimpses of why he has been brought in as a replacement for Miles Robinson. One occasion saw him keep pace stride for stride with Cucho on an over the top ball. His composure, both on the ball and defensively, were also a bright spots. There will surely be better days ahead.

RB: Brooks Lennon - 6

The Crew’s tactical dominance in the first half exposed Lennon’s side of the field as he struggled to cope with the overload. However, it’s hard to put the blame on him as it was a team problem. He was much more influential in the second half as he got more freedom to transition into his roaming role, began to combine well on the right flank, and made some dangerous runs forward.

MF: Bartosz Slisz - 5

Bartek’s debut was a nervy one. There were some very bright moments. Specifically in the second half where he played part in some lovely buildup plays that created a few chances. He also had a couple of nice long balls over the top to Lennon and Saba. But the mistakes were glaring as he looked overwhelmed in the midfield at times. Sloppy giveaways, especially late in the match as Atlanta was pushing for a goal were too obvious to ignore. The quality he possesses is obvious, though.

MF: Tristan Muyumba - 6

A typical performance as he held his own against one of the best midfields in the league. He wasn’t able to get on the ball as much as normal and didn’t have much of an influence going forward. But he was still the calming presence you expect him to be.

MF: Thiago Almada - 6

It was a match of highs and lows for Thiago. He seemed to sleepwalk through the majority of the match, not having much of a influence. However, when he flipped the switch, he created some magic. His combination play at the top of the box earned him a shooting chance late in the match to tie it up, but it was narrowly blocked.

LW: Xande Silva - 7

The most dangerous attacker on the day. Both attacking and defensively he put in a shift. He created the team’s best chance of the day, squaring a ball to GG for what should’ve been a goal. He went 3/3 in dribble attempts, while also coming back to help Wiley defend. In a match that was tough to find attacking spark in, he did his best to provide it.

ST: Giorgos Giakoumakis - 5

It was a rough day for GG as he struggled to get involved and began forcing it a bit. He was never really able to get on the same page as the rest of his fellow attackers. When he finally did get the best chance of the match, he was unable to convert it. It was just one of those frustrating days in a tough away match.

RW: Saba Lobjanidze - 6

Completely invisible and taken advantage of defensively in the first half. However, like most attack-minded wingers, he came to life when the team found more life in the opposing end of the field. His combination and overlap play with Lennon was dangerous. He also made some killer runs that would’ve been rewarded if the service had been better. The consistency needs work, but when he has a chance to get on the ball, he’s making things happen.

SUB: Jay Fortune - 7

Only played about 20 minutes but had a very positive influence after coming on. His fresh legs added a dynamism to the team’s pressing efforts. He caused havoc for the Crew immediately after coming on, forcing several dangerous turnovers and tilting the field towards the Columbus goal. That’s exactly what a substitute is supposed to do.

SUB: Tyler Wolff - 5

He didn’t have the same impact as Fortune and really didn’t offer much outside of being a body on the wing to link up play.