The narrative coming into Saturday was clear: A refreshed and invigorated Atlanta United would come out and look as strong as they’ve been all season and beat the hapless Columbus Crew into the ground as they march on toward one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference.
But someone flipped the script. Instead of coming out gangbusters, Atlanta looked disjointed, over-confident, and lethargic in — considering the expectations — the team’s worst loss of the season.
The lone bright spot of the game was that Josef Martinez extended his MLS scoring streak to 14 consecutive games.