Although Atlanta United snapped its two-game scoreless streak on Sunday, it couldn’t return to winning ways after a 2-1 defeat against 2024 Supporters’ Shield winner Inter Miami.
“I felt that we started really well – go one zero up – then we gave away our goal, and then I felt it completely over us,” said Atlanta United Head Coach Ronny Deila after the match. “So we have to keep that momentum over a longer time and do the things that work.”
The loss leaves Atlanta with four points from its first four MLS games and a 1-2-1 record.
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Deila put out an almost full-strength starting lineup to meet Inter Miami’s full-strength squad. The only change from the XI that played New York Red Bulls to a scoreless draw in Matchday Three was Brooks Lennon making his 200th career start in place of Matt Edwards at right back. The full force of the attack, which had been shut out in the past two games, was present with Alexey Miranchuk at the No. 10, wingers Saba Lobjanidze and Miguel Almiron and striker Emmanuel Latte Lath.
The Five Stripes got to business early with Lennon swinging in a cross to Latte Lath who headed it home to put Atlanta up 1-0 after 10 minutes. Lath’s third goal of the season was Atlanta’s first in 196 minutes after consecutive shutouts against Charlotte FC and New York Red Bulls. It also marked Lennon’s 39th assist for the club, tying former midfielder Julian Gressel for most all-time assists in club history.
“It was just a culmination of all the rehab that I’ve done over the past four and a half months, almost five months, and all the hard work I’ve put in,” Lennon said about his assist on the goal. “It was almost like an emotional moment for me, just so happy to be able to come back and provide an assist.”
However, it didn’t take long for the visitors to strike back. An errant touch at the back led to a turnover and Lionel Messi did the rest to level the match at 1-1 after 20 minutes.
“We gave them too many easy chances,” Deila said. “The first goal is we lose the ball in a very bad situation and that’s the best player in the world, and you have a problem.”
The rest of the game was a very back-and-forth affair with both teams creating a wealth of high-quality chances. Atlanta United had 12 shots to Inter Miami’s 12 while the visitors created 1.8 expected goals to the Five Stripes’ 1.4.
Miami won it in the end as a header from Fafà Picault awkwardly bounced past Guzan, sealing the 2-1 win for the Herons.
“We don’t mark our man quick enough, and then the header… it was slow motion.” Atlanta United center back Derrick Williams said about the goal after the match. “I thought Guz [Guzan] had it, so I could have cleared it if I didn’t think he had it, but I thought he had it, so it was just a mix-up and it goes in.”
Williams went on to explain his frustration that they could not keep the performance consistent throughout the game, an issue that has plagued the team in each of its games this season.
“I think the first 25 minutes was our best kind of football,” Williams said. “We’re passing it quickly, two touch, going side to side – we must have had like three or four chances – and then once we go away from that we get sloppy.
“I think we gave them all their chances just by turnovers, and I think that’s the difference between us and them. I think when they do give away turnovers… they take them… we’re not taking as many as we should.”
Atlanta United returns to action on Saturday, March 22 when it travels to face FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.
What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments below.
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[…] Early Latte Lath goal not enough for Atlanta United in 2-1 loss to Inter Miami […]
Venting a little here. Miami totally outplayed and Outcoached us. Our midfield is just not good enough to win a championship; way too slow and can’t move the ball forward. We need a DP level 6 and a real 10. Miranchuk is…..too….slooow. Miami’s midfield ran circles around us. This was probably Slichz’s worst game. Saba needs to move back to the right; try Miggy as a 10; bench Miranchuk; start Silva or Mosquera on the left ( at least try it). Not excited about our coaching strategy; played well the first 20 minutes until Miami figured how to flood the midfield and we didn’t adjust. It was a total lesson on strategy, skill, compactness, ball control, team movement, aggressiveness and of course, Messi’s beautiful skill to calmly dribble past our player and softly beat Guzz. The guy is just unbelievable. I know is early but we have a long way to go. There are quite a few good team in our conference and we don’t look top 5 or 6. Very frustrating to watch being completely outplayed. Maybe I’ll feel differently after rewatching the game…
I totally agree..#59..look out of place. Since he got here, never impressed. Move 10 to 10 9 to the right and bring I Mosqerua on the left, that will ve a better attaching 4. As for the mids. Been saying it…the have not creativity and make alot of mistakes in defense. Slisz cause the first goal. And why Guzan did not come out and punch the cross out…
The refs seem to be calling in Miami favor all game.
Saba actually prefers LW. When he originally came to Atlanta, he was going to play LW, but Atlanta also brought in Silva, so he moved to RW to defer to Silva playing LW.
It’s a long season, but it’s clear it’s gonna take a long time for our team to perform to expectations… I still think we’ll make the playoffs, but right now – it doesn’t feel good at all.
Guzan is still a beast and so I’m happy to see him continue to represent the heart of our city (frustration, competitiveness, and wanting so much more from the team).
I think if we were 3-0 going into this game (or even 2-1), this is a bit easier to spin as a loss against a good Miami side. We looked improved from NYRB in my opinion, but we were way too sloppy with passes and give aways.
I really like Alexey, but something doesn’t seem to be clicking. Miggy seemed to stay out wide more tonight, and it still didn’t translate for Alexey. Also, Saba seems a bit invisible until he’s running into LL at the penalty spot.
I think the pieces are there for a top team in the East. Only time will tell if it comes together.
I’m normally an advocate for Miranchuk, but yeah he was making a lot of bad passes tonight.
I really like him, and I think Twellman was right (for once) when he said he’s one of the best passers in the league.
He seems to be struggling with the Pity effect. Seemingly the right player, with the right skills, but it’s just not working. (yet). I have faith that it will.
When he first arrived, I thought he would be more of a DeBruyner type player; not the fastest but very accurate passing and aggressive on the ball. So far he has not shown me anything to hope for; he is just way too slow making decisions to make penetrating passes.
Guys, I don’t know if he’s gonna make it here. The top MLS teams play a very aggressive midfield and defend better than us.
Also, get 59 off the field. Just a black hole and not fast enough
Overall the performance was decent. Sky isn’t falling, there’s a lot of hopeful things. Some horrible calls by the refs that definitely seemed to favor Miami. But we also were sloppy on a couple things.
Dumb mistakes in the defense cost us those two goals. Gotta clean that up. Attack, they need to figure each other out faster. That miscommunication cost us a goal added.
Thanks for the positive outlook. We clearly have talent but I’m not convinced at all about the overall scheme or coaching. Yet. All our mistakes are so avoidable and that’s gotta eventually fall to someone
Yeah – it’s four games in, and while everyone should have patience, the fact remains that we have a losing record (with most at home games in the league). At this point in time, I feel that we have a top-tier roster that performs at a lower, mid-tier level.
Until our team starts performing to the ‘sum of parts’, I’m remaining cautiously optimistic… I just hope we start gelling as team very soon, because this is ‘still’ tough to watch like last season(s).
Wonder how much is coaching and how much is players still trying to integrate into the system? I agree though, avoidable mistakes that we hopefully won’t be making with as much consistency by the end of the season
Hopefully it’s mainly the latter
I don’t know about you, but you could tell very early on Miami was forcing the ball to the middle when Guzz had the ball, as a soon as the ball was played to the middle, Miami would collapse onto the ball handler and created many turnovers or put us in a difficult position. We never adjusted to that and Guzz kept playing into the middle; we got burned.
very impressed with Miami; good team to watch. I don’t buy the “it was a tight game” nonsense. We are the home team and they controlled the game. It was like watching Brazil against Peru when Brazil is the visiting team.
We looked like a lower third tier team
When yo have and spend the resources we do, you don’t get to lose like this. I know Miami is the closest thing MLS has to a world class club (and yea the irony that that’s supposed to have been our ambition first is not lost on me). But it’s jsut not good enough. Our sub choices are awful (fortune cost the second goal, Mosqueta gave the ball away like 4 times in 5 minutes, Abram never needs to see the field again). We continuously lose focus after scoring (coaching issue?), and in the second half. We turn the ball over in dangerous positions (again, coaching?) what is going on
And WHY do we always look exhausted at the end of the game. We haven’t played in a week and both teams are playing the same game. Miami has okayed a ton of games the past 3 weeks but they were running circles around us.