Atlanta United’s Brad Guzan: ‘We got the last laugh’

Watching Brad Guzan trying to get out of the net in last week’s decisive Game 3 win at Inter Miami will be one of the moments most remembered from Atlanta United’s playoff run - no matter how long at it lasts.

Guzan looked like a fallen trapeze artist. He said it wasn’t the first time that has happened and probably wouldn’t be the last. He can look at it and smile now. At the time … not so much.

“I saw the red in my eyes,” he said on Wednesday.

Guzan wasn’t angry so much with the goal scored by Lionel Messi. Or that Messi slapped the ball out of his hands. Or that Leo Campana pushed Guzan in the back with both hands into the net before turning and running away. Guzan said he didn’t know until later that it was Campana that pushed him.

Guzan was more upset with Luis Suarez coming up and jawing at him after he got out of the net, and that referee Lukasz Szpala did nothing about anything.

“I’ve had this conversation with PRO in the past, after a goal scored, the attacking team doesn’t need to touch the ball,” Guzan said. “The attacking team doesn’t need to grab the ball out of the net. They’re not going to save an extra 30 seconds in time. The ball is dead, and they don’t need to touch the ball, OK?”

Guzan said Szpala was telling him to relax.

“I didn’t understand where that was coming from, since I’d just been shoved into the goal with no talking to any of their players, right?” Guzan said. “Ultimately, they probably didn’t save enough time to score the third goal, and we ended up getting the last laugh.”

Guzan said he was proud that his team was able to give up that tying goal but then rally with the winning goal scored by Bartosz Slisz a few minutes later.

“I think our resiliency in terms of just continuing to push and fight and the character that we showed, to continue to fight and push and ultimately get the third, that part was fantastic,” Guzan said.

Break. Guzan and interim manager Rob Valentino said they wish there wasn’t a FIFA-mandated international break this week. They would much prefer to keep playing. Atlanta United won’t face Orlando in the Eastern Conference semifinals until Nov. 24.

Seven Atlanta United players are out on international duty. That group is composed of Alexey Miranchuk (Russia), Saba Lobjanidze (Georgia), Bartosz Slisz (Poland), Stian Gregersen (Norway), Luis Abram (Peru), Efrain Morales (Bolivia) and Luke Brennan (U.S. Under-20s).

Valentino said those that are with the team are on different plans to keep them in the best possible shape for the match at Orlando. Valentino said no private scrimmage is scheduled between now and next week.

“In the playoffs, and obviously in the game that they had, every little play matters, whether it’s a back line or just the whole group buying into defending and attacking that’s going to be really important,” Valentino said.

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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule

Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0

March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1

March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0

March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0

March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0

April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1

April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2

April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1

April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1

May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1

May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in U.S. Open Cup