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Writer's pictureBryce Leslie

Recapping the Start of the Most Improbable Playoff Run in MLS History

(Atlanta United Twitter: @ATLUTD)


 

I started writing a thread on Blue Sky, a new social media application that has a growing population of MLS media and supporters, that stepped through the moments and results of Atlanta United since their last regular season home match on October 5th against the New York Red Bulls. But when I started diving into it, I realized there was a lot more to the story. More words were needed to evaluate where this all started.


A new wave of talent (Saba Lobjanidze, Tristan Muyumba, Xande Silva, Jamal Thiare) were added to a flourishing attacking duo in Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis during the 2023 Summer Transfer Window. After Leagues Cup, the team went on to finish 4-2-2 and secure the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. The group managed to win a playoff game, but still lost to the eventual champions Columbus Crew 2-1 in the conference quarterfinals. Returning the main core and adding to it with Polish midfielder Bartosz Slisz and Norwegian defender Stian Gregersen, manager Gonzalo Pineda had high expectations heading into 2024.


Those expectations were quickly countered as the group began the year 3-7-4. Those were guessing that facing a full strength Inter Miami squad may be enough to force Atlanta United President Garth Lagerwey's hand in a decision on the managerial spot moving forward. After world class games from Almada and Lobjanidze, Atlanta stunned Miami 3-1. Fans were thinking this may be the turning point of the season. Four days later, Charlotte defeated Atlanta in Mercedes Benz Stadium with over 61,000 in attendance. The following morning, the club parted ways with Gonzalo Pineda and named Rob Valentino the interim manager. In the following weeks, they also sold three staples in the starting lineup: Giakoumakis, Almada, and Caleb Wiley for over $41 million in combined transfer fees. As much as the club spoke on fighting to reach the playoffs, it seemed like the front office was content to prepare resources towards a 2025 rebuild. Months later, on October 2nd after a brutal loss to Montreal, the club sat in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, three points below the playoff line. It wasn't over, but a lot had to go their way.


Two matches remaining in the season, the first thing you have to worry about is yourself. If you don't walk away with 6 points, it doesn't matter what everyone above you does. First up to bat was the final home game of the season against the Red Bulls. The match was a quiet one until Dylan Nealis received a red card after he took down Edwin Mosquera from a promising chance at goal. Three minutes later, Jamal Thiare earned a penalty and Alexsey Miranchuk, the club's newest Designated Player who they signed for $13 million from Serie A's Atalanta, slotted it in to give Atlanta the lead. In the 97th minute, Miranchuk played a perfect through ball to Tyler Wolff, who put it away to extend the lead to 2. And the second one was needed as Serge Ngoma scored for the Red Bulls in the 104th minute. The Red Bulls had two goals called back for offsides, and the Five Stripes did their job for the win. Montreal, who sat in 8th place in the East, lost to Charlotte 2-0 on the road. DC United, who sat in 9th place, won 2-1 at New England. Philadelphia and Toronto, the 10th and 11th place teams, had road losses to some of the East's best clubs in Columbus and Miami. The majority of the results went Atlanta's way, yet just giving them a 10% chance to reach the playoffs on Decision Day.


It was simple, yet not simple: Atlanta had to win at Orlando, and two of these three results had to happen: Montreal had to lose home to NYCFC, DC had to lose home to Charlotte, and Philadelphia had to either lose or draw home to Cincinnati. Coming into the match, Orlando had won 6 of its last 7 with its only loss on the road to Columbus. Things weren't looking too likely even though Atlanta had a 2-0 lead 16 minutes in as Philly scored in the 2nd minute, Montreal led 2-0 at half, and DC United was tied 0-0 at half. Orlando cut the lead right before half, and Miranchuk missed a penalty to start the second half. Former Five Stripe Yamil Asad leveled the game for Cincinnati, and the Union had an own goal to start the second half. One game opened up an opportunity. Charlotte scored two goals in the first 30 minutes of the second half against DC, leaving it up to Atlanta. In the 89th minute, Duncan McGuire ruined all hope with an equalizer, but the video assistant found that a handball touch led to the goal. Goal reversed, and Atlanta somehow snuck itself into the playoffs as the 9th seed. The probability found itself stunned.


(Atlanta United Website: atlutd.com)


On the road to start its playoff journey in a win-or-go-home wildcard matchup at Montreal, Atlanta carried its first half momentum from Decision Day as Brooks Lennon headed in his first goal of the season and Stian Gregersen headed in a free kick from Miranchuk just before half. Atlanta should've known that Montreal's opposing striker, Josef Martinez, would not let this one be easy. The best player in Atlanta United history cleaned up a mistake from Brad Guzan to cut the lead in half in the 62nd minute and netted an equalizer from the penalty spot in the 89th minute. The full-time whistle blew, and this one went straight to PKs. Josef scored first, but Brad Guzan saved the second Montreal penalty and all of Dax McCarty, Daniel Rios, Alexsey Miranchuk, Derrick Williams, and Saba Lobjanidze converted to win 5-4 in the shootout. Survive and advance.


Atlanta continued onto the conference quarterfinals against the Supporters Shield winners Inter Miami. The format shifted to a best-of-3, Game 1 at Miami was Atlanta's third road match in seven days. Miami showed its dominance with Luis Suarez finding the back of the net in 90 seconds. Left back Pedro Amador found Saba to tie the game in the 39th minute, but Miami continued to challenge at goal in the second half. Jordi Alba scored an absolute screamer to cancel Guzan's 8 saves in the match. Miami takes Game 1 with a score of 2-1.


Miami didn't come out swinging in Game 2 as early as Game 1, but David Martinez scored first for them off a fluke play and took a lead into halftime. Just when it felt like Miami could run away with this, center back Derrick Williams scored his first goal in an Atlanta United jersey on a deep cross from Amador. Both teams continued to find opportunities with Guzan, Drake Callender, and both goal posts/crossbars making saves. Into stoppage time, this one had penalty kicks written all over it… until a bounce went Atlanta’s way. Miranchuk wins the ball after both sides fight for it in the air, who gets it into Daniel Rios’s direction. Rios finds Tristan Muyumba, who one-times it back to Miranchuk, who one-times it to Xande Silva in space. Silva, who played only 45 minutes in the month of October, shone when his number was called and struck the winner into the upper left corner in the 94th minute. Game 2 went to Atlanta… this one needs a third.


Back in Miami a week later, both teams found chances early, and Guzan showed he was still on another level after saving a wide-open look from Messi inside the box. Unfortunately, Matias Rojas cleaned up the rebound and Miami scored first. Miami only held onto the lead for two minutes as a pass from McCarty deflected right onto Thiare’s run, who lasered it on his first touch near post for the finish. Just two minutes after that, McCarty again lifted a perfect ball to Miranchuk, who timed his run onsides perfectly, and Miranchuk laid off a square pass to an open Thiare who pounded it into the back of the net for a brace in the first 21 minutes of the match. Miami took the space Atlanta gave them and immediately countered, but Gomez was called offsides from the video assistant. Atlanta held on and took its first lead to halftime in the series.


In the 52nd minute, Brad Guzan made his best save of the series when Messi placed a ball in for a Jordi Alba header inside the six-yard box, but Guzan stretched his left paw on it enough to not just keep out of goal, but further enough out where Suarez couldn’t come clean it up. Atlanta’s lead didn’t last much longer though as Marcelo Weigandt left a cross perfectly between Ronald Hernandez, Bartosz Slisz, and the 6’3” Stian Gregersen for the 5' 7” Messi to head in. 10 minutes later, Atlanta found a promising counter open up when Miami stopped defending after defender Tomas Aviles went down for a cramp inside the box. Atlanta continued to play on, and Amador was given all the time in the world to pinpoint a cross onto the trailing Silsz, who regained the lead on a leaping header. Through 15 minutes of regulation, plus over 8 minutes of stoppage time, Atlanta United held onto the biggest upset in MLS history. The point difference between the two clubs was 33 through the 2024 season. Lionel Messi’s annual salary is more than Atlanta’s entire roster. The team that fired their manager, sold away their best two players, and didn’t score first in any of the three matches found a way to take down the team with the most regular season points in MLS history.


(Atlanta United Website: atlutd.com)


The heroes? Pedro Amador, who the club signed on a free transfer in the summer window in place of Caleb Wiley, has assisted in every playoff match so far. Bartosz Slisz, who missed two penalty kicks against Santos Laguna this summer where Atlanta failed to advance to the Leagues Cup knockout stage, found a way to show up in the biggest moment and score the series winner. Dax McCarty, the 37-year-old MLS legend that announced his retirement at the end of the season, set up the first two goals and held down a powerful Miami midfield all series long. Brad Guzan, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who missed the 2022 season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon and a chunk of the 2023 season due to a torn MCL, played the best three game stretch in his Atlanta United tenure with 18 total saves. Rob Valentino, who has worked under all of Tata Martino, Frank de Boer, Gabriel Heinze, and Gonzalo Pineda, has given the club much more than you can explain. He has made the locker room believe that they can go out and beat anyone. He has found a way to bring the excitement back into the club that has been missing for over five seasons.


Atlanta continues on to play the 4th seed in the Eastern semifinals against familiar rival Orlando City. Pulling off an upset in the capacity they just did is an emotional one for everyone involved. The group will have two weeks to recover and prepare for the matchup that will take place on Sunday, November 24th at 3:30 pm in Orlando. Atlanta has won both matchups this year, the first with an entirely different looking Atlanta side and the second in a do-or-die match for Atlanta on Decision Day. Orlando won its quarterfinal series in stunning Game 3 fashion as well, scoring a 102nd minute penalty kick to send the game to a shootout, where Pedro Gallese hit another level and Orlando won 4-1 on kicks. It's hard to beat a team three times in a season, but it's even harder to describe the fairy dust in the Atlanta locker room right now, as Brad Guzan called it postgame.


How will this story end? It feels like there's going to be more to this most improbable playoff run in MLS history.





Twitter: @bleslie19

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