Interim manager Rob Valentino doesn’t like the premise espoused by at least two players that Atlanta United seems to play better against the better teams, but they will get another chance to prove it against Inter Miami on Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Miami, which features Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, are the best team in MLS and are running away with the Supporters Shield. The Herons are seven points clear of second-place L.A. Galaxy, with a match in hand.
Miami would be 10 points clear if not for a 3-1 loss to Atlanta United, at home no less, earlier this season. That arguably was the Five Stripes’ best performance this season. Atlanta United also has beaten Columbus (fourth in the Supporters Shield standings) and playoff teams Charlotte and Orlando.
Of course, Atlanta United is in 10th place in the East because the team also tends to sink to the level of opponents. That in part explains why the team’s longest win streak this season is two games, and that happened only once, in the second and third matches. That’s also in part why Valentino didn’t like the theory floated by Derrick Williams and Saba Lobjanidze that the team seems to rise to the opponent.
“It’s not a good reason or valid reason to say, I show up on this game, not that game,” Valentino said. “Every single day, you show up the exact same to be better every single day. It’s not a faucet where you can just switch it on, switch it off. There’s a reason why players make it to elite levels, and it’s not by doing it sometimes or when you feel like it or against this team or that team. It’s about doing it every single day to the top standard.”
Lobjanidze said Monday that perhaps Atlanta United played better in their first meeting with Miami because Miami tried to play. It attacked, which left space for Atlanta United to try to exploit. Atlanta United set a season-high for shots (24) and expected goals (3.5) and tied its season-high in goals plus assists (7) and assists (4) in that match.
Contrast that with Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Nashville, which statistically was the worst team in the East. After the visitors scored in the fifth minute, they were able to collapse their formation and make it very difficult to find any space in which to pass or shoot close to Nashville’s goal. Atlanta United was shut out for the eighth time this season.
“It will be opportunity for us,” Lobjanidze said. “I think, it will be more space and … we have to take our responsibilities. I believe we have a quality for that. And, yeah, we’re gonna win this game.”
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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
May 11 D.C. United 3, Atlanta United 2
May 15 Cincinnati 1, Atlanta United 0
May 18 Atlanta United 1, Nashville 1
May 21 Atlanta United 0 (5), Charleston 0 (4) in U.S. Open Cup
May 25 LAFC 1, Atlanta United 0
May 29 Atlanta United 3, Miami 1
June 2 Charlotte 3, Atlanta United 2
June 15 Atlanta United 2, Houston 2
June 19 Atlanta United 1, D.C. United 0
June 22 Atlanta United 1, St. Louis 1
June 29 Atlanta United 2, Toronto 1
July 3 New England 2, Atlanta United 1
July 6 Real Salt Lake 5, Atlanta United 2
July 9 vs. Indy Eleven 2, Atlanta United 1
July 13 Montreal 1, Atlanta United 0
July 17 Atlanta United 2, NYCFC 2
July 20 Atlanta United 2, Columbus 1
July 26 D.C. United 3 (6), Atlanta United 3 (5) in Leagues Cup
Aug. 4 Santos Laguna 0 (5), Atlanta United 0 (3) in Leagues Cup
Aug. 24 L.A. Galaxy 2, Atlanta United 0
Aug. 31 Atlanta United 1, Charlotte 0
Sept. 14 Nashville 2, Atlanta United 0
Sept. 18 vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 vs. Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Orlando, 6 p.m.
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