Club Atlas 2-1 Newcastle United - Magpies Pay Price For Woeful Defensive Lapses

The American Dream may be far from over for Newcastle United but the first match of their US pre-season tour added much weight to head coach Steve McClaren's assertion there would be "evolution" and not "revolution" at the Magpies this summer. It has taken McClaren just two pre-season matches in charge to experience an all-too-familiar feeling for NUFC bosses in recent years - defeat. A lacklustre start that saw Newcastle fall two goals behind inside 17 minutes cost them despite the Magpies being much improved after break as the Premier League side succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Club Atlas at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Moussa Sissoko's finessed finish right on half-time gave Magpies the momentum heading into the second 45, but Newcastle's inept first-half display ultimately proved to be their downfall - and this result will leave McClaren, Ian Cathro and the rest of the backroom staff in no doubt that serious groundwork is still needed to rid this Newcastle side of their rotten habits.

This game must be taken in context, however, and the daggers should not be out for Newcastle United's "evolution" after one meaningless pre-season friendly defeat - just as the plaudits should not have been too loud following their narrow 1-0 victory at Gateshead last Friday - but lessons must still be learned. United's tour to the USA is all about improving the side and ironing out the creases - as well as being a money-spinning exercise, of course - and it is going to take some serious elbow grease to do that with old weaknesses and deficiencies clearly on display in Milwaukee. However, the first chance did fall to the Premier League side after only two minutes, with Yoan Gouffran ghosting in behind the Atlas defence, only for his shot to be saved well by Miguel Pinto. Then, just three minute later, Daryl Janmaat weaved his way inside the Club Atlas back four and clipped a left-footed shot straight at Pinto, showing that the Mexican Liga MX side could be cut open with relative ease. In those first 10 minutes, Cathro's impact on the side was again as evident as it had been against Gateshead on Friday. The full-backs continued to get forward at every attempt, with Massadio Haidara particularly keen to attack, while the centre-backs once again split and received the ball from the goalkeeper - although, with Tim Krul between the sticks during the first-half this time around, distribution was certainly not as precise. What's more, Newcastle's defence and midfield exchanged regular passes with one another, something rarely witnessed at St James' Park last season.

Yet, despite the Magpies' positive start, they found themselves 2-0 down inside 17 minutes as a result of two defensive lapses. First, after 10 minutes, Gonzalo Bergessio managed to get himself in behind Jamaal Lascelles, only for the ex-Nottingham Forest defender to scythe the forward down in the box. The late challenge showed naivety and a rawness that will take time to draw out of Lascelles - and Bergessio punished the big defender by calmly slotting the penalty into the left-hand corner. Then, just seven minutes later, Gouffran played an awful ball back from midfield that was intercepted by Atlas' Cristian Tabo, who lofted a precise pass over a poorly-positioned and hesitant Mike Williamson. Bergessio then ran on to the ball and smashed a lovely finish over Krul and into the net. Incredibly, Newcastle could easily have been 3-0 down inside 22 minutes with Bergessio only denied a hat-trick by the woodwork as his deft chip rattled Krul's bar. The Magpies were in disarray and, until the 45th minute, they were most-certainly second best. In fact, every time the Mexican side attacked they looked like scoring - and Newcastle looked vulnerable defensively. This is an area that still need serious work to say the least. Finally though, the Magpies woke up - and right on half-time. A quick counter-attack from their own half saw captain-for-the-night Jack Colback release Papiss Cisse, whose pass played in Sissoko for the Frenchman to slot home. That goal seemed to shift the momentum completely and Newcastle were much improved in the second-half - despite the only replacement being Karl Darlow for Krul. After beginning the second-half the brighter, Newcastle were adamant they had equalised in the 54th minute through Cisse. The Senegalese striker, who scored the winner at the International Stadum from the spot, ran to the front post and flicked a Colback corner goalwards, only for Pinto to attempt to smother it. Cisse and Newcastle were adamant the ball crossed the line, but the referee was unmoved. And that summed up Newcastle's night really - one of frustration. Despite McClaren's men controlling much of the game for the second-half, and rarely seeing their own goal threatened, they had few clear-cut opportunities themselves. Siem de Jong scuffed a chance wide from close range in the second-half, but little else arrived until Newcastle make six substitutions at once in the 72nd minute. The arrival on the scene of Ayoze Perez's endeavour and industry, as well as Rolando Aarons' directness, brought chances for Adam Armstrong, Gabriel Obertan and the Spaniard himself - but no equaliser. Newcastle ultimately paid the price for their awful opening 45 minutes and their dreadful defensive lapses, something that was said all too often towards the end of last season. McClaren and his backroom staff have clearly made positive changes already, but that is the biggest area that still needs addressing. Central-defensive reinforcements are a must in the coming weeks, that much is for certain. CLICK HERE to read individual player ratings from the 2-1 friendly defeat to Club Atlas.

Club Atlas: Pinto; Tabo (Barragan 79), Medina (Hernandez 73), Pineda, Kannemann (Caballero 70); Valenzuela (Balloy 82), Zarate (Telles 82), Leao (Salinas 77); Loboa (Godinez 82), Arizala (Vigon 55), Bergessio (Arreola 70) Goals: Bergessio (pen 11, 17) Bookings: Arizala, Kannemann, Newcastle United: Krul (Darlow 46); Janmaat (Bigirimana 73), Williamson, Lascelles, Haidara (Ferguson 73); Anita, Colback; Sissoko (Aarons 73), Gouffran (Obertan 73), De Jong (Perez 73), Cisse (Armstrong 73) Subs Not Used: Woodman Goal: Sissoko (45) Booking: Colback Attendance: 21,256 (Miller Park, Milwaukee) For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow whatculture.com/NUFC on Twitter and Facebook.