Happy Thursday! We’re just Ronald Hernandez (2) days away from Atlanta United kicking its season off at the Columbus Crew.
There was an MLS game last night, though: Inter Miami opened the season with a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake at Chase Stadium. Meanwhile, the New England Revolution and Orlando City started off their respective campaigns with Leg 1 wins in their Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 ties.
Also, I’m tweaking the format of the Feed from what it’s been over the past few days. Comments are open as usual.
Is Atlanta United an average team?
That’s what Ken Suguira thinks. From the AJC:
[H]onestly, what has the club done since 2019 (aside from spending a lot of money) for anyone to have high expectations “as usual,” given that the last time they were met was before the pandemic? Yes, Atlanta United has continued to make the playoffs – the Five Stripes have missed them only twice in seven seasons. However, a) the club has a higher payroll than most of the league; b) more than half the teams in the league qualify for the postseason; c) it enjoys arguably the strongest home-field advantage in the league. Making the playoffs really ought to be a starting point.
He’s not 100% wrong: the high spending could be credited to giving contracts to players who ultimately didn’t provide a ROI commensurate with their salaries. The club will still spend money with Garth Lagerwey in the fold, but, while it’s still in a little bit of a bind as far as cap space is concerned, we’re already seeing evidence of a more fiscally minded approach. As far as the playoffs, Gonzalo Pineda has said that the postseason should be the bare minimum a club like Atlanta should achieve.
That said, expectations are as high as they’ve been in years. Doug Roberson’s own column rightfully states that the club “has no excuses” in 2024:
Its roster is healthy. It has three proven Designated Players. It has players throughout its starting 11 and off the bench who have played for their national teams. It knows what it didn’t do well last year and has worked to improve through transfers and tactics. Heck, it doesn’t even have visa issues to navigate. It’s time to win another trophy.
One of the key names to watch is Dax McCarty, and veteran MLS voice Steve Cangialosi, who’s calling Saturday’s match against Columbus, knows McCarty quite well: the former longtime TV voice of the Red Bulls was behind the mic for McCarty’s 6 seasons in Harrison. Hear what he said about Dax, and more, in our interview. Plus, our weekly podcast dove into the Atlanta-Crew matchup at length.
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MLS Is Back
The curtain-raiser for the 2024 MLS season was at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, where Inter Miami defeated Real Salt Lake 2-0.
-Lionel Messi assisted on Robert Taylor’s 39th-minute goal with a nice pass to the Finnish international, whose shot wasn’t fully dealt with by Zac MacMath.
“There’s no bigger ambition and desire than coming to a team that just won its first title last year [Leagues Cup] and trying to win MLS Cup,” Suárez said. “It’s a title the club hasn’t won yet. That’s the goal, that’s the challenge for me and the whole team.”
One game in at least, Suárez and Messi are already showing a glimpse of the chemistry that made them one of world soccer’s all-time greatest attacking duos. But according to head coach Gerardo Martino, more time is needed for both to reach peak form.
“We had several training sessions before the friendly against Newell’s [Old Boys] and the beginning of the league. Sometimes you honestly need that,” Tata explained.
It wasn’t as close as the score would indicate: Miami had a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal. This could have been a lot worse.
Also, this is how you stop a Messi free kick, apparently:
Meanwhile, it wasn’t MLS, but New England (Atlanta’s home-opening opponent on March 9) and Orlando City each chalked up wins away from home in the 1st leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 matchups.
–The Orlando-Cavalry FC tie’s all but over, as Facu Torres’s brace and Duncan McGuire’s tally gave the Lions a 3-0 edge to take back to Inter&Co Stadium.
-Things were a little tighter in Panama, as Tomás Chancalay’s 54th-minute marker handed the Revs an all-important away goal heading into Leg 2.
-There’s more CCC action to come tonight: Nashville SC faces Moca in the Dominican Republic while FC Cincinnati is in Jamaica to take on Cavalier.
Read this
Lionel Messi brings magic in Inter Miami’2 2024 opener: “He’s motivated” (MLSSoccer.com)
Messi shines, but can Inter Miami’s veteran stars keep up the pace in MLS? (ESPN)
MLS is squandering golden Messi opportunities (Yahoo Sports)
What the MLS referee lockout means for North America’s top soccer league (The Guardian)
Three dangers that lie in wait for Atlanta United’s season (Five Stripe Final)
Locked-out referees stage protests on MLS season’s opening day (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Watch this
Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 Leg 1
Moca vs. Nashville SC, 7 p.m. ET, FS2
Cavalier vs. FC Cincinnati, 9 p.m. ET, FS2; ViX (Spanish)
sorry to shoehorn this in here. The content on this site (and its greater emphasis on league wide coverage through an Atl lens) is really growing on me.
2 thoughts:
First off, thanks! We appreciate it! The comment section is the first thing we’ll be trying to tweak as best we can, what type of browser are you using on mobile? Typically if you create the account with your email you’ll stay signed in
The fancy new comment section is liiiiive!
Ohhhhh yeeeeeeuh
The AJC’s clickbait “AU is an average MLS team” is garbage. Written as if by someone who hasn’t paid attention to the team since the pandemic as well. We’re firmly favorites to be top 3 in the East at the halfway point, and just have to execute on what we have. (Which we are set up to do more as an actual team)
So M
essiLeagueSoccer24 is here. Is everyone else apart from the flamingoes fans just sick and tired of all of this?It’s definitely a lot lol
Could “a lot” even be an understatement? Completely stifling. Petty, but I intentionally did not tune in to watch because I take satisfaction in knowing their viewership count was 1 less than it could have bin, just to spite MLS and Apple for the oversaturation of Messi Mania.
That’s the kind true petty that needs more appreciation in this world. I salute you
I thought RSL dominated most of the second half and wasted too many gifts. They could have been up 2-1 or 3-1 after stifling Miami for most of the first half. Their defense was solid until the last few minutes when they got desperate to tie.
Miami looked very beatable.
Just watched the highlights. I agree. But Miami are going to hurt a lot of teams in transition.
I am hopeful that their reliance on guys in the twilight of their careers in that system ends up just breaking down over the course of the season. They are asking a lot of some excellent but very high-mileage players.