Alexey Miranchuk saves Atlanta United in draw with Inter Miami

After his team got off to another slow start, Alexey Miranchuk laced a left-footed shot into the upper left corner to produce a 2-2 draw for Atlanta United against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Saba Lobjanidze scored on Atlanta United’s first shot on goal but it didn’t come until early in the second half. It tied the match. As Atlanta United has a propensity to do, it quickly surrendered a goal, setting the stage for Miranchuk to score his first in the 84th minute. The highlight came in Miranchuk’s fourth appearance since joining from Atalanta in Italy. Miranchuk said he didn’t know the shot was going in.

“I was excited with my first goal, and it was an important goal,” Miranchuk said.

It might have been a winning goal had Atlanta United gotten off to a faster start, something that perplexed interim manager Rob Valentino after it’s happened in back-to-back matches.

“The way we played that game at the end, the way, maybe not from a tactical standpoint ... it’s not the type of soccer we want to play, but in terms of work rate and a commitment to try to win the game, that’s what I’m talking about,” Valentino said. “That’s every day, that’s every day of training, that’s every single day behaviors over a consistent period of time, and then it gets you far.”

In addition to Miranchuk’s goal, which a group of visiting journalists from Russia said was typical for him, another highlight for the 67,795 announced attendance was Messi subbing into the match in the 61st minute. It was his first appearance with Miami in Atlanta after he didn’t travel with the team for last season’s match.

A lowlight was Atlanta United (8-13-8) failed to win either of its two matches in this short homestand. It fell from 10th place to 11th in the East but is one point away from the ninth and final playoff spot. Atlanta United will play at the Red Bulls on Saturday.

Valentino’s lineup was composed of striker Daniel Rios, midfielders Miranchuk, Lobjanidze, Dax McCarty, Tristan Muyumba and Bartosz Slisz, fullbacks Brooks Lennon and Pedro Amador, centerbacks Stian Gregersen and Derrick Williams, and goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Inter Miami was without manager Gerardo Martino, who was suspended, and the lineup was missing numerous other starters. It also didn’t initially include Messi, the reason the stadium was open to full capacity, but who did make the bench.

The energy from Atlanta United’s players that was missing in its recent loss to Nashville was there against Miami, but it didn’t produce anything to fuel the attack.

Miami took a 1-0 lead on a goal by David Ruiz in the 29th minute. Atlanta United was unlucky. A pass was deflected by McCarty, with the ball going right to Ruiz, who had made a short run to the top of the 18-yard box into space between Amador, who failed to go with him, and Gregersen. Ruiz received the deflection, squared up to Guzan and slotted a shot into the lower right corner. It came on Miami’s second shot in the match. Atlanta United had just one, not on goal, to that point.

Adding to Atlanta United’s challenges, it entered the match 1-10-4 when the opponent scored first this season.

Atlanta United finished the half without a shot on goal. Its issues on offense were best exemplified by a sequence around the 40th minute. Atlanta United was in a counterattack. Slisz played a pass that was intended for Lobjanidze, who was sprinting down the left wing. However, Rios, who was on the same line as the pass, stopped the ball. Had he let it run through, Lobjanidze would have been in on goal with no one but Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender in front of him.

Atlanta United finished the half without a shot on goal, one key pass and an expected goals total of 0.1. It put just one shot on goal in the first half of the loss to Nashville.

“I don’t know if it’s nerves, I don’t know if it’s guys are scared,” Guzan said. “We’ve got to go out and play with confidence and be on the front foot. We talk about that daily, and the whistle blows. We wait for things to happen.”

The supporters wait to see Messi ended when he got off the bench to go warm up in the 48th minute, sounding off loud cheers that were matched when Atlanta United’s first shot on goal resulted in its first goal, coming from a header by Lobjanidze in the 56th minute. It was assisted by Amador, his first this season. Valentino said Amador played well for the second consecutive match.

Of course, Atlanta United quickly surrendered a goal and again could consider itself unlucky in the 59th minute because Leo Campana’s free kick deflected off McCarty and to the right past Guzan, who had dove to his left, to give Miami a 2-1 lead. McCarty’s foul resulted in the free kick.

Messi subbed on in the 61st minute, replacing Gressel. It was his second appearance in the city. The first came earlier this year for Argentina in the Copa America. Fortune and Mosquera subbed on in place of McCarty and Muyumba.

After Miranchuk’s goal, Lobjanidze hit the bar with a shot in regulation, saw a header go over the crossbar and just missed the upper right corner with a right-footed shot in stoppage time. Miranchuk also had a shot go just wide to the right.

“I think everyone knew that we need to pick up the energy, especially at home,” Lennon said. “The result against Nashville wasn’t us. I think everyone’s performance was down. So it was a good test for us tonight, against a great team, and to fight back twice in the game.”

If only Atlanta United could have started better.

“I sound angry like I don’t mean to be that way,” Valentino said. “I am happy that we got a point. I think we deserved three, but you can’t start that way. So in life, maybe it all evens out.”

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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