On March 5, 2017, Atlanta United finally kicked off for its much-anticipated inaugural Major League Soccer season. 55,000 fans gathered at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium. There was a fervour and an excitement engulfing the city.
But the raft of baying fans only transpired to watch the historic moment end in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the New York Red Bulls.
The initial defeat started what would become a seemingly unsolvable puzzle for Tata Martino and the Five Stripes. Atlanta United is yet to defeat the Red Bulls in four meetings, losing three and earning a 0-0 draw for the only point taken away from the matchup, the latest of which was a 2-0 defeat in New York on Sunday afternoon.