After a thrilling home victory last weekend, Atlanta United is back on the road in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night for a winner-take-all Game 3 in the opening round of the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. From the outside, all the pressure is on top-seed Inter Miami CF, who broke the points record during the regular season. After all, they do feature one of, if not the, greatest players of all-time in Lionel Messi. The 5-Stripes meanwhile have been embracing the underdog role in this series, and throughout the last weeks of the regular season. This team has rolled up its sleeves and defied the odds numerous occasions now to get to this point. Now they will try to take down Miami on Saturday and advance in the playoffs with a win, either in regulation or penalty shootout. Let’s take a look at the Tools to the Match presented by Home Depot against Inter Miami CF.
Weather the early attacks and keep the match close
After forcing Game 3 with a stoppage time goal through Xande Silva, Atlanta will try to carry that momentum over to this weekend’s decisive match. With the firepower that Miami’s attack possesses, one of the keys for Atlanta to succeed will be to keep the match close in the opening minutes. In Game 1, Atlanta conceded just 90 seconds into the match. Fans will expect Miami’s veteran players to come out fast. The longer the 5-Stripes keep a clean sheet, the more pressure will build on Miami.
The Herons’ backline has also looked vulnerable in each of the matches that Atlanta has played against them this season. The 5-Stripes have played five matches vs. Miami since Messi joined MLS, and they have scored 13 goals in those five matches. If they can grow into the game and keep it close early on, they should get chances in the attacking end.
Protect the box at all costs
Last weekend featured a rare sight during an Inter Miami CF match this season. They scored from outside the box. David Martinez chipped Atlanta’s defense from just outside the box for the opening goal. The reason it was a rarity is because this season nearly 83% of Miami’s goals have come from inside the box (68 of 82 to be exact). Martinez’s chip was just the 10th goal from outside the 18-yard area. Atlanta’s defense has done a good job of protecting the box and throwing themselves into passing and shooting lanes. The formation change that interim head coach Rob Valentino made allows for a back five and one more natural central midfielder to be on the pitch, and that move has proven to be the correct one so far.
If the 5-Stripes can continue to close down space inside the box and deny the passing lanes into Messi and Luis Suarez, they will be in a good position to pull off the upset.
F(or) E(very) A(tlantan)…. or something like that
The moniker “FEA” has been a mantra and rallying cry for Valentino and his team throughout these last few weeks. While the original interpretation may not be appropriate for this article, the team has indeed rallied and come closer together in this stretch and the results on the pitch have reflected that. Atlanta will need another one of those complete team performances on Saturday night in order to advance. And while it would be the biggest upset points wise in MLS Cup Playoff history (Miami was 34 points better than Atlanta in the regular season), the 5-Stripes own a 3-1-1 (W-L-T) record against Miami since Messi arrived. A win on Saturday night would send the 17s into a cheering frenzy once again.
Fans can tune in on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV on Saturday night at 8:00 pm ET when the action kicks off at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. To hear the action on radio, tune into Star 94 (English) or La Mejor – AM 1600 (Spanish).
