There were two obstacles Columbus Crew SC faced traveling to Bobby Dodd Stadium to face Atlanta United: the home side’s high press and its transition play. Both things killed the Black & Gold in a 3-1 loss on Saturday evening.
In a match that was delayed nearly a half an hour due to weather, Crew SC were the brighter side to begin the game.
Just two minutes in, former Columbus defender Michael Parkhurst played a poor pass out of the back straight to Black & Gold winger Justin Meram. He attacked the backline, eventually spraying the ball wide for forward Ola Kamara.