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Bill Murphy Sports Editor | 770-718-3415 | sports@gainesvilletimes.com
Unties
gainesvilletimes.com
Monday, December 10, 2018
PACKERS 34
FALCONS 20
MLS I Atlanta United
Franchise in great shape
TODD KIRKLAND I Associated Press
Atlanta United team captain Michael Parkhurst (3) kisses the trophy as teammates celebrate during the trophy presentation after the
MLS Cup championship soccer game against the Portland Timbers on Saturday in Atlanta.
JOHN RAOUX I The Associated Press
Atlanta United MLS soccer team head coach Gerado “’’Tata” Martino directs his players
during the second half of a match against Orlando City on Aug. 24 in Orlando, Fla.
MIKE ROEMER I Associated Press
Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan
drops back to throw against the Green
Bay Packers on Sunday in Green Bay,
Wisconsin.
Losing
skid hits
5 games
Atlanta flat after
first-half mistakes
Associated Press
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank
watched coach Dan Quinn offer explana
tions about another defeat. The boss then
gave Quinn a hug before
he walked out the door of
a Lambeau Field media
room.
Blank still appears to
have Quinn’s back as the
losses keep piling up for
Atlanta.
In less than two years,
the Falcons have gone
from a trip to the Super
Bowl to a losing record
that was clinched with a 34-20 defeat on
Sunday to the Green Bay Packers. It was
Atlanta’s fifth straight defeat.
Matt Ryan threw for 262 yards and
three scores, including two to star receiver
Julio Jones. But after an
encouraging game-open
ing touchdown drive that
ended with an 18-yard
touchdown pass to Jones,
the Falcons (4-9) played
mistake-filled football
to fall behind quickly by
double digits.
By the time Ryan and
Jones connected for
another score, from 12
yards with 13:34 left in the game, Atlanta
was still down by 20.
In between, they hurt themselves too
many times, including eight defensive pen
alties. Thirteen flags overall cost the Fal
cons 101 yards.
“It’s definitely frustrating, maddening,
disbelief, all of those things when we don’t
execute on those,” coach Dan Quinn said.
It wasn’t just the penalties that hurt,
either.
Bashaud Breeland returned an inter
ception 22 yards for a score in the second
quarter after jumping a
sideline pass intended for
Austin Hooper. Later, an
ill-timed shotgun snap in
the red zone epitomized
the misfortunes of an
injury-filled year.
The hike from center
Alex Mack hit Mohamed
Sanu in the leg just as
the receiver crossed in
motion behind the line of
scrimmage in the fourth quarter. The Fal
cons retreated from the ball for a moment,
appearing to be unaware of what happened
— just enough time for Breeland to sneak
■ Please see FALCONS, 3B
Gerardo Martino’s final thoughts to the
media after leading Atlanta United to a
2-0 win against Portland in the MLS Cup
on Saturday may have been the most on-
point since he was hired in Sept. 2016.
“If I had to choose a way to leave some
where, this is the best way,” he said.
Martino will soon leave Atlanta, maybe
to Mexico for his reported next job or per
haps to Rosario in Argentina to be with
his family. He will absolutely be satisfied
with the job he did in helping take Atlanta
United from an ambitious expansion club
to champion in just two seasons.
Playing a mix of soccer that evolved
from a record-setting attack during the
regular season to a lock down defense in
the postseason, Martino won a Cup game,
his first since leading Barcelona to a win
in a season-opening tournament in Spain
in 2014.
“These are always special moments,
just to culminate this amazing process
that we have had in Atlanta,” he said.
Martino’s decision to not exercise the
option on his contract was announced by
the club on Oct. 23.
It wasn’t a surprise. Though Martino
patiently and steadfastly denied rumors
and reports tying him to other jobs, the
speculation had persisted since Sep
tember. Part of the speculation can be
explained by his history. He has rarely
stayed with any club more than two sea
son. Part can be explained by the fact
that he is very good at his job, a blend of
tactical ability mixed with motivational
skill and ability to communicate with
players in an honest, direct way that is
appreciated.
Though he has consistently downplayed
his role in recruiting, it became more
clear during the days before the MLS Cup
that Martino was more active than he has
let on. Josef Martinez, who completed a
trifecta of MVPS - All-Star Game, MLS
and MLS Cup - said it was a call from
Martino that sealed his desire to come
to MLS. Miguel Almiron and Leandro
Gonzalez Pirez, among others, shared
similar stories.
“We need to give him something
because he gave all for us,” Gonzalez
Pirez said. “He’s a great man.”
Martino appreciated many things about
his time with the club.
Among them were that club president
Darren Eales and vice president Carlos
Bocanegra never wavered from the plan
they shared with him during a meeting in
Rosario in Sept. 2016. Those included the
$60 million training facility in Marietta
and the trust showed in him.
“It is what makes this club very suc
cessful, is that the club had a plan and the
directors have followed that plan to a T,”
Martino said.
Several players said after the cham-
pagne-soak celebration Saturday that
Martino’s last games on the way to the
title were not a concern.
“In professional sports things change,”
goaltender Brad Guzan said. “Coaches
change. Players change. There are going
to be players in this locker room who
aren’t here next year. There are going to
be new players who come in. It’s part of
professional sports. That’s why you enjoy
these moments, you savor these moments
much more.
“It is what it is. There was more discus
sion on the outside of our locker room
about Tata (Martino) leaving than there
was on the inside. He told us he was leav
ing and it was simple, we got on with it.
We knew what type of team we had. We
wanted to make the most of it and here
we are.”
Blank
Ryan
Sanu
With Martino leaving, Five Stripes remain hopeful
BY DOUG ROBERSON
Atlanta Journal Constitution
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Tagovailoa enters as early 2019 Heisman favorite
Associated Press
Tua Tagovailoa will be the odds-
on favorite to win the Heisman Tro
phy next season after the Alabama
quarterback had to settle for second
to Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray.
Murray is heading for profes
sional baseball next year and Ohio
State quarterback Dwayne Haskins,
the other Heisman finalist on Sat
urday night, could very well enter the NFL
draft. Assuming Haskins does go pro, along
with a few other high-profile quarterbacks
such as Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Michi
gan’s Shea Patterson, who else can
challenge Tagovailoa?
Note: UCF quarterback McKen
zie Milton would have made this
list if not for a severe leg injury
that makes his return to the field
uncertain.
TREVOR LAWRENCE, QB,
CLEMSON: The strong-armed
passer with the flowing blond hair
became the Tigers’ starter four
games into his freshman season and has
been one of the best quarterbacks in the
country since. Lawrence enters the College
Football Playoff with 2,606 yards passing,
24 touchdown passes and only four
interceptions. Clemson leaned on
the running game and tailback Tra
vis Etienne (1,463 yards rushing and
22 touchdowns) at times this season
to take the pressure off Lawrence.
Etienne is back next season, too,
but expect the Tigers to let Law
rence loose and the results to be
spectacular.
JAKE FROMM, QB, GEORGIA:
Fromm got overlooked this season, with
Tagovailoa, Haskins and Murray putting
up crazy stats. But the Bulldogs’ sophomore
threw 27 touchdowns and was third behind
Tagovailoa and Murray in efficiency
rating at 175.81. He’ll be a third-year
starter for a preseason top-five team
in 2019 — if he can hold off Justin
Fields, the five-star freshman who
served as his backup this season.
And Georgia’s offense could flow
through running back D’Andre Swift
no matter who plays quarterback.
JALEN HURTS, QB, TEAM
TBD: Tagovailoa’s backup at Alabama is
almost certain to transfer in the offseason
after having graduated. That means he can
■ Please see HEISMAN, 2B
Tagovailoa
Fromm
