Rob Valentino is confident Atlanta United can overcome their one-goal deficit against the “superstars” of Inter Miami in Game 2 of their best-of-three series in the MLS playoffs.
The Five Stripes lost their opening game of the postseason 2-1, with Jordi Alba’s long-range stunner sealing the triumph for Inter Miami, who will look to book their place in the next round with a victory.
But ahead of the encounter at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, interim head coach Valentino was excited to welcome the Herons to Georgia, believing his side are not out of the fight just yet.
“I’m already buzzing about what that place is going to be like,” Valentino said.
“My message to the team was that these people are waiting to cheer for you, you’ve been three on the road to finish into the playoffs and you can feel the buzz getting back for them.
“Even all the people coming to see [Lionel] Messi, no problem. I love it, because eventually, like last time when things were going well, they were also cheering [for us].
“I get it, come to see the superstars, come and see our team fight and compete but these boys aren’t done yet.”
Inter Miami, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their win from Game 1, a game that their dominance was not reflected by the scoreline.
The Herons managed 22 shots, 12 of which were on target, compared to Atlanta’s eight shots with only two on Drake Callender’s goal.
Gerardo Martino’s side were met with the imposing figure of Brad Guzan, who made nine saves during the contest.
The Miami head coach believes had it not been for the veteran shot stopper, the game could have been out of site.
“It was a match where what I liked the most was the control we had on the field for almost the entire game,” Martino said.
“We didn’t make many mistakes that would allow the opponent to break out into space. We had five clear chances in the first half, and one of them came very close to the post.
“We were patient. I believe that if it weren’t for Brad (Guzan)’s performance, the match should have ended with a clear difference.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Inter Miami – Lionel Messi
Messi carried his fine form into the postseason, notching the assist for Alba’s winning goal against the Five Stripes in Game 1.
Across the Leagues Cup, US Open Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS Cup Playoffs, he has appeared in 10 knockout round matches for Inter Miami (single and multi-leg) and contributed to at least one goal in all of them (nine goals, five assists).
Atlanta United - Pedro Amador
Amador set up Saba Lobjanidze for Atlanta’s only goal in Game 1 on Friday, his sixth assist for the Five Stripes in the regular season and playoffs since debuting for the club in late August.
Only Alba (nine) and Riqui Puig (seven) have more assists than Amador in that time (including the playoffs).
MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN
Inter Miami’s victory over Atlanta in Game 1 was the club’s 23rd MLS win of the campaign (regular season and playoffs). The only two teams in the post-shootout era with more wins in a single season, including playoffs, were Atlanta United (25) and the New York Red Bulls (24).
However, Atlanta are unbeaten in their last five home matches against Inter Miami (W4 D1), though Miami’s 2-2 draw at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 18 ended a four-match home winning streak for the Five Stripes.
The Herons’ only-ever win at Atlanta was a 2-1 victory in September 2020, but they will have confidence of adding another on enemy territory.
Atlanta have won only four of their last 18 home matches in all competitions (D6 L8) dating back to April, however. The Five Stripes won just six regular-season home matches in 2024, their fewest in a full regular season in club history (excluding the shortened 2020 season).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Atlanta United – 27.8%
Draw – 24.1%
Inter Miami – 48.1%
Cushing aiming to create ‘incredible’ Citi Field atmosphere to inspire playoff comeback
Nick Cushing acknowledged the importance of New York City FC’s supporters at Citi Field for Game 2 of their best-of-three series MLS playoff clash with FC Cincinnati.
Yamil Asad’s only goal handed the Orange and Blue a slender advantage heading into their upcoming encounter, though the Pigeons head coach was confident about his sides chances on home soil.
NYCFC won 10 games at Citi Field during the regular season, with only Inter Miami (11) winning more in the Eastern Conference.
And Cushing believes that his players must start the game well to ensure their home fans generate an “incredible” atmosphere to push them over the line.
“We love playing at home in front of our people,” Cushing said. “I said post-game - irrelevant of what happened in Cincinnati - we're now playing in front of our people, and that is where we play our best football, but we need everybody behind us.
“The players are incredibly hungry. They have a huge desire to win this football game and to make sure that we win the game with our people. They've been amazing all season. I can always go back to the Miami game [this season]. That was incredible.
“It was actually interesting because the Miami game at Yankee Stadium was an amazing game in front of our fans. Our fans delivered so much for us, but the last playoff game I did at Citi Field was also against Miami.
“That was an incredible atmosphere and a good performance from the team. We know that if we play well and we start well we get our people behind us, and that is our aim.”
Pat Noonan, meanwhile, expects another difficult “chaotic” playoff encounter, evident when NYCFC’s goalkeeper Matt Freese was sent up from the back late on to try and steal a point in the opening game.
Cincinnati boasts an impressive record away from home, though, and Noonan said the ending of their previous match was a timely reminder to his players about the aggressive nature of the postseason.
“On Monday, we experienced what it looks like when there is no aggregate, and that’s teams going for it with no repercussions if they concede another goal,” Noonan said.
“We have a one goal lead, and they were going after it. You could see it when the goalkeeper came up at the end. It’s a little bit chaotic, so you must be prepared for it.
“That was a good reminder of what the game can look like when you’re playing with a lead and, on the other side of it, the ability to go after it in a very aggressive way to find the leveller – that was the reminder we needed from that particular game.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
NYCFC – Alonzo Martinez
Since his move to NYCFC in August 2023, Martinez has found home comfort at Citi Field, netting 11 of his 16 goals in the 2024 regular season on home soil.
Along with team-mate Santiago Rodriguez, who scored in 10 of his 12 games at home, the Pigeons, along with Inter Miami (Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez), were the only two teams to feature two different players with 10 home goals this term.
Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta
Acosta continued his fine regular season form into the postseason, setting up Asad for the only goal in Cincinnati’s 1-0 win in Game 1 on Monday.
The Argentine has now scored (three) or assisted (three) in six of Cincinnati’s 10 all-time playoff goals.
MATCH PREDICTION: NYCFC WIN
The Pigeons have won five of their seven home matches against Cincinnati (D1 L1), though both of Cincinnati’s games away from home against NYCFC have come in their three visits since 2022.
NYCFC have lost only four of their last 25 home matches in all competitions dating back to late August 2023 (W15 D6). They have won their last two home matches, scoring three goals in each, including a 3-2 win over Cincinnati in October.
However, Cincinnati, along with Inter Miami, won 11 away matches in the 2024 regular season, equalling CF Montreal’s single-season MLS record set in 2022. They only managed two wins in their last six on the road (D1 L3) though, after winning nine of their first 11 away matches in 2024 (D1 L1).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
NYCFC – 43.7%
Draw – 26.8%
Cincinnati – 29.5%
Kompany yet to decide on Dier and Upamecano's Bundesliga return
Vincent Kompany said he would wait until Saturday to decide whether Eric Dier and Dayot Upamecano are fit enough to return to action for Bayern Munich.
Bayern welcome Union Berlin to the Allianz Arena, hoping to maintain their advantage over RB Leipzig at the summit of the Bundesliga standings.
Both Dier and Upamecano are nursing injuries, with the former Tottenham defender replaced by Arijon Ibrahimovic in Bayern's DFB-Pokal win over Mainz in midweek.
Upamecano also missed the trip to the Mewa Arena with a thigh injury, only adding to the defensive woes Kompany has suffered this season.
Bayern are already without Hiroki Ito, Sacha Boey and Josip Stanisic, but Kompany is yet to make a decision on Dier and Upamecano's role in Saturday's fixture.
"It's a pity when players are unavailable. I have 18 fit players, so I have 18 options for the positions," Kompany told a press conference.
"There have obviously been a lot of games in the last few weeks. I have full confidence in the other boys and in the squad."
"The tendency (for Dier and Upamecano) is good but still I will take my time until tomorrow. But it looks good."
During their win over Mainz on Wednesday, Kompany was forced to play a central defensive partnership made up of Leon Goretzka and Konrad Laimer.
And the Bayern boss was not against starting that same duo against Union Berlin this weekend after their strong showing in the DFB-Pokal.
"I could say it is bad for us with two, three or four defenders missing," Kompany added.
"But I have full faith in the other players. I hope they will be fit but in any other case I have faith in the other lads."
Kompany has collected 20 points in his first eight Bundesliga games as Bayern head coach, the best return since Carlo Ancelotti in 2016.
No coach in top-flight history has seen his side score as many goals in their first eight games as Kompany (29), and the Belgian has reason to be confident this weekend.
They have not lost any of their 10 league meetings with Union Berlin (W7, D3) – the only other side Bayern have faced as often in the top-flight without losing is Darmstadt.
However, Kompany was wary of the threat Bo Svensson's side, who have picked up 15 points after eight Bundesliga games – only ever being better off in 2022-23 (17).
"They have done it well so far. They are up there and we will not be underestimating them. But the game is about us," Kompany said.
"You can see that they are very strong in defence and on the counter. This is a team that knows what it has to do. But in the end it is a home game for us."
Manchester United out to prove WSL title credentials against resurgent Arsenal
The Women’s Super League is back after a break for the international fixtures with a blockbuster clash between Manchester United and Arsenal.
United have set down an early marker and are unbeaten so far this term (W3 D1). Arsenal, meanwhile, have already parted ways with their boss of three years, Jonas Eidevall. It has been a tumultuous start of the season for the Gunners (W2 D2 L1).
Arsenal, however, may feel like they have turned a corner under caretaker boss Renee Slegers, the former assistant to Eidevall who has stepped into the interim role. Picking up a much-needed three points against West Ham last time out kept them in touch with the top four.
The Gunners have also got their Champions League campaign back on track after losing their first game to Bayern Munich. They defeated Valerenga comfortably, so will be looking to keep up the momentum with a third straight win.
United’s strong start to the season has seen them quietly go about their work with an impressive steeliness to their performances. They have only played four games and have a game in hand against Chelsea due to a clash with the Blues’ Champions League schedule.
Marc Skinner’s side are not quite the same as the team that won the FA Cup last season. The most notable absence is goalkeeper Mary Earps, who left in the summer, along with club captain Katie Zelem, Nikita Parris and Lucia Garcia.
That said, the early signs suggest the summer’s significant changes to the squad have not halted the progress made in 2023-24, a season that saw the club lift the first major domestic silverware in their history.
This fixture will be Skinner’s 100th game in charge of United in all competitions. His win rate with the Red Devils (62.6% – 62/99) is by far his best with a team across his managerial career (47% at Birmingham City, 21% at Orlando Pride).
The Opta supercomputer is anticipating a close encounter on Sunday. Despite Arsenal’s early troubles, they are given a 38.9% chance of getting the away win. United are only just behind on 35.1% and the probability of a draw is 26.0%.
It is certainly a match that has all the ingredients to be a thriller. But where might the game be won and lost?
United have only lost one of their last four home games against Arsenal in the WSL (W2 D1), drawing 2-2 with the Gunners in this fixture last season.
Their good early form this season has been partly down to their defensive success and the ‘red wall’ they have constructed. Skinner knows that to challenge for the WSL title, his team must be solid at the back, and they have some of the best numbers in the league.
United's red wall
United have only lost one of their last four home games against Arsenal in the WSL (W2 D1), drawing 2-2 with the Gunners in this fixture last season.
Their good early form this season has been partly down to their defensive success and the ‘red wall’ they have constructed. Skinner knows that to challenge for the WSL title, his team must be solid at the back, and they have some of the best numbers in the league.
United boast the best defence in the WSL this season, conceding only once. Their underlying numbers are good, too. Their 3.95 expected goals against is bettered by only Arsenal (3.56), albeit from one game fewer. Both sides have kept three clean sheets.
United average 0.98 xGA per game in the WSL this term, while they have faced 10.25 shots per game.
Losing Earps to Paris Saint-Germain was a concern for United fans, but they should feel assured that their new number one has risen to the challenge.
Before joining United last summer, Phallon Tullis-Joyce was a regular starter for both her former clubs Reims and Seattle Reign. She knew on her arrival at United that she would be in the shadow of Earps but that did not discourage her. Fast forward a year, and the American’s 93.3% save percentage is the best in the WSL this season.
Tullis-Joyce has a goals prevented figure of 2.74, having conceded just once from an expected goals on target (xGOT) figure of 3.74. Having saved almost three goals more than she ‘should’ have, Tullis-Joyce is the best-performing goalkeeper in the WSL based on the metric.
United also boast some of the brightest young talent in the league and Skinner is finding a way to cultivate their skills.
Maya Le Tissier became the youngest player to reach 100 WSL starts when she featured against Brighton last time out, breaking the record set by Lauren Hemp in December last year.
She has also been a feature of United’s prowess on and off the ball. Le Tissier marked her milestone start with a strong performance at the Amex Stadium, leading United for touches (80), passes (67) and completed passes (56).
Indeed, no United player has had as many touches (351) as the defender this term. She also shone for England during the international break combining with club-mate Grace Clinton for the Lionesses’ second goal in their 2-1 win against South Africa.
Renee's renaissance
With back-to-back wins and six goals in their two games since Eidevall’s departure, the Arsenal dressing room will certainly feel they are starting to get things back on track. And with a new manager reportedly not close to being announced, interim boss Slegers has the opportunity to prove her credentials for the role.
Arsenal have scored six goals from 4.58 xG in their past two matches. Whereas under Eidevall the Gunners were missing chances with regularity, they have seemingly picked up their finishing under interim boss Slegers. They had scored four goals from 7.0 xG under Eidevall in their first four league matches.
Slegers certainly looks like she’s instilled some extra confidence in her players.
Arsenal have won their last three away games in the WSL and could win four in a row on the road in the league for the first time since December 2022 (eight). That would be the kind of momentum they need in order to challenge United and the other top four sides.
They are beginning to realise some of the potential they showed in pre-season, and the dynamism they lacked last season when they ultimately fell short of a title challenge.
Summer signing Mariona Caldentey has finally got the WSL goal her performances have merited. The former Barcelona star has created 12 chances this season, and accumulated 1.96 expected assists (xA) – the most in the Gunners’ squad.
Her impressive performance in the Champions League win over Valerenga felt like the catalyst she needed. Two goals in two games have proved she has the ability to provide the kind of threat from midfield that Arsenal have previously lacked.
The Gunners may need to lean on their more experienced talent, especially when it comes to changing the game from the bench. Since the beginning of last season, no player has been directly involved in more WSL goals as a substitute than Stina Blackstenius (six – five goals, one assist), with four of her last five goal involvements coming from the bench (three goals, one assist). Last time out against West Ham she helped turn the tide, too.
The biggest change under Slegers has been her desire to commit to a number one, which Eidevall seemed to be on the fence over.
He added to the goalkeeper ranks this summer in the form of Dutch international Daphne van Domselaar, and that’s who Slegers has committed to.
Van Domeslaar, like Tullis-Joyce, has kept three clean sheets this term. She has conceded just twice from 12 shots on target faced, while she’s prevented 2.2 goals with her stops. Her 83.3% save percentage is tied for second in the WSL along with Leicester City’s Janina Leitzig, behind Tullis-Joyce.
That’s a far cry from last season, where first-choice goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger slightly underperformed, conceding 17 from 16.16 on target, while her save percentage was just 66%.
Losses in key games last season meant the Gunners were left behind by Man City and Chelsea in the title race. Settling on a reliable goalkeeper may just give Arsenal the solid grounding they need this time around.
Living in Graceland
Clinton, who began her professional career at Everton, signed for United in 2022. After loan spells at Bristol City and Tottenham last season, her breakout campaign came last year, and she is already being hailed by some as a generational talent. Her numbers this season suggest those assertions may not be wide of the mark.
She won the PFA Young Player of the Year for her performances with Spurs last term, and her name will surely be on the lips of her England team-mates Alessia Russo, Beth Mead and Leah Williamson as she showed Sarina Wiegman why she should be one of the first names on the team sheet over the international break.
United have struck gold with the 21-year-old and she is the first player to score in three of her first four WSL appearances for the club. Her three goals for the Red Devils is already just one fewer than she managed in her first 34 outings in the competition (0 in 14 for Everton, four in 20 for Tottenham).
Competition in this league is tough, but Clinton is one of five WSL players to score three goals this season, leading the charts along with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd of Chelsea, last year’s Golden Boot winner Khadija Shaw of Man City, Rachel Daly of Aston Villa and Brighton’s Kiko Seike.
Clinton is also a creator. Though she is yet to provide an assist, she has crafted six chances for her club-mates, with only Ella Toone having set up more among United’s squad (seven).
It is not just her impressive attacking statistics that make Clinton stand out. She leads the way in the WSL this season for duels (72), winning half of those (36), a figure that only four players can better in the competition, including Arsenal’s Caldentey (38). Clinton has also won 80% of her tackles (12/15).
United fans are hoping their young talent will ensure they get to the promised land and add to their first major domestic trophy from last season.
While Clinton has been phenomenal, Elizabeth Terland has netted twice from a team-high 1.76 xG, and the Norway international leads United’s squad for shots (14) and touches in the opposition’s box (23). Arsenal will need to be wary of her, too.
Arsenal will hope their own exciting prodigy will be able to come to the fore if selected. Finally off the mark in her maiden WSL campaign is Rosa Kafaji, who was hailed ahead of her move in the summer as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe. Scoring against West Ham last time out should give her the boost she needed in front of goal.
This match-up will be another early indication as to whether United can really challenge for the title as they did in 2022-23. At the beginning of the season, the Opta supercomputer gave Skinner’s side a 1.9% chance of winning the league. Despite their bright start, that likelihood has now dipped to 1.2% with Chelsea’s perfect record, but a win on Sunday could change that.
Arsenal are up against it given their early missteps. Only one team has won the WSL title after winning just one of their opening four matches, and that was Liverpool in 2014 (W1 D3).
Ahead of the season, Arsenal had a 16.1% chance of winning the title – that has now plummeted to just 1.8%, albeit it is still a better chance than United have, according to our model.
United and Arsenal will go at this one with everything, both wanting to keep pace with Chelsea and Man City, who lead the standings.
Will Arsenal’s renaissance continue, or will Skinner’s Red Devils have the metal to prove themselves as title candidates?
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