Atlas 2 – 2 America
By: Alan | February 19th, 2009
Atlas went into the estadio Azteca for their week 6 game against America and was able to come out with a tie and one point.
However, it felt more like they gave away a point than earned one because America came back twice to tie Atlas and both times it was a late goal.
The game started of pretty bad for Atlas, America had many early opportunities and it felt like it was going to be one of those days. However in the 24th minute Marioni was able to score after some shotty clearing by the America defense.
The game then seemed to turn in Atlas’ favor and there was a sense that Atlas could go two in a row in the wins column, but that’s right about the time when Juan Carlos Valenzuela welcomed debuting goal keeper Canales with a goal in the back of the net.
Canales seemed to have a bit of the stage fright early on and the first goal against him showed this, the goal came in on a corner kick and Valenzuela headed it in from right in front of goal. It seems Canales had a bit of the “do I stay or do I go” and stayed frozen to the spot.
The rest of the game had the same up and downs of emotions with the next up swing coming in the 62nd minute with a free kick goal by Edgar Ivan Pacheco. Atlas seemed like they would pull out with the win but then in the 87th minute Pavel Pardo tied it all up again with a goal from a free kick. Again one could fault rookie Canales who was giving up too much of his right side to Pavel who didn’t pass up the opportunity.
Other than that the team seemed good, more relaxed perhaps understanding the vision of coach La Volpe more with practice. They were pressing America’s exits from goal and seemed to be moving the ball around well. However, I still think that Atlas lacks the mentality that will lead them to finish games, and hopefully they can come up with something better than putting 10 men in their half whenever they have a one goal lead.
Oh yeah, there was plenty of red in the game too. Pacheco was bleedied up by an accidental, that’s what we’ll call it, cleat to the face. He would return in his best mummy impression with his head bandaged up and played a pretty decent rest of the game, if only he can learn to share and pass the ball from time to time.
Also seeing red was Bruno Marioni who was expelled from the game after demonstrating that he fights like a girl who doesn’t know how to fight, less we offend our one female reader who might well know how to fight. It seems that towards the end of the game in an effort to eat up some clock, which I hate, he decided to get into a bit of a cat fight with Juan Carlos Silva.
Really though it really was a catfight. Marioni pulled Silva’s hair and Silva slapped Marioni in the face who then took three seconds to decide whether or not he should flop, which he did. The benches cleared everyone made a huff but in the end both men left the field.
I’m pretty sure Marioni will be reprimanded an extra game as he was clearly the one who started it, meaning we won’t be able to count on his services come Saturday when Atlas hosts Pumas.
Highlights:
Category: Atlas Team News
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