After a midweek victory over the one team lower in the table, Atlanta United were put back in their place via a 3-1 defeat at the hand of Messi’s Inter Miami. The loss marks the ninth time this season Atlanta has lost in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the most of any season in the club’s history.
A first half described as “one of the best the team has played” by Tata Martino gave way to collapse as Lionel Messi scored a brace within five minutes to put the visitors up 3-0. A late Fafa Picault penalty put the final score at 3-1.
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- 10 – world-class performance
- 9 – elite performance
- 6 – average
- 5 – slightly below average
- 3 – well below average
- 1 – poor in every level
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I’m not sure what fixes this team. Breel looks the part, but can’t get good service. Miggy/Mira aren’t performing to what a DP should nor are they playing the positions they’re strong at. Our midfield feels solid but more like central mids instead of any attacking mids. Looking back, we were the most dangerous when we had attacking mids. Defense got owned in this match but are generally more solid.
Wingers? send miggy/mira packing?
It seems like our roster is built for intricate precise passing in tight spaces, but our players aren’t quite precise, fluid, or creative enough for that. I also don’t know if that style works in MLS unless you have world class level players across the board, or at least in the 5-7 players involved in the attack.
What it seems like other teams have is some sort of play, whether it’s incisive runs or aggressive dribbling, that causes our defense to scramble in chaos because our shape got broken. Our team rarely creates chances like that, because we’re either not athletic enough to break away from them or our passes are not daring or precise enough to thread the gap in the defense.
I agree with the passing piece, because we’ve seen it happen constantly but then nothing to finish and that feels like the missing piece. Pass, connect, pass, connect…give up the ball.
Well, the last two matches prove we are better than a really shitty team and we aren’t nearly as good as a much better team.
Messi is very good at soccer.
fortunately, KC is far worse than AtlUtd (8 points back), so the Wooden Spoon is unlikely. Otherwise, the season has been a true disappointment.