The frustration that Atlanta United manager Ronny Deila and a few players expressed after last week’s second consecutive scoreless match was replaced by confidence and calmness Thursday when previewing Sunday’s match against Miami at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Deila said the second half of the 0-0 draw against the Red Bulls on March 8, which featured next to nothing in the attack after a blistering first half, wasn’t as bad as he thought after a film review. The defense put together its first consistent performance in getting its first shutout.
Now, he said they just need to put all of it together to defeat Miami, which is unbeaten in MLS and CONCACAF Champions Cup this season. Deila said the spirit of the team was strong during training sessions this week. There seemed no concern about the consecutive shutouts, which were a first since 2022. The team has been shut out in three consecutive games just once, and that should come with an asterisk because it happened at the MLS is Back tournament in Orlando, Florida, during the COVID-19 season.
“If you perform well, that’s the only thing you can do something with, then you get the best out of yourself,” he said. “We know we have good players, and we’re also going to win football games. So we talk about our performances as a collective and as an individual, every week, every day. I feel that everybody’s on the same page, and we really want to achieve something this year, and that’s nice to see.”
Offensively, Deila said sloppy touches and poor decisions in the final third have hurt them in the past two matches, which is another reason he was frustrated after the match against the Red Bulls. He said he’s confident that the players are understanding expectations and are growing more comfortable holding each other accountable.
To perhaps everyone but the players, the match would seem to have some extra spice, which may be why it will be the Sunday night match — Apple and MLS’s attempt to add some oomph to its broadcast package. Atlanta United posted the biggest upset in league history last season when it knocked Miami, led by Lionel Messi, out of the playoffs. They didn’t beat them just once. They beat them twice in a three-match series. This was one top of beating them badly, 3-1, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during the regular season, and earning a 2-2 draw at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the second meeting.
In fact, Atlanta United has handled Miami and its Barcelona quartet better than any other team in MLS.
“It’s another game, obviously difficult game, in the sense that they’re obviously a very good team with good individuals,” Atlanta United captain Brad Guzan said. “So that doesn’t change from our point of view in terms of going into Sunday looking to try and get three points.”
This Miami, like Atlanta United, is different that last year’s.
While Atlanta United spent a lot money on building its attack with the additions of Deila, striker Emmanuel Latte Lath and winger Miguel Almiron, Miami did some tinkering, too. It replaced Gerardo Martino with Javier Mascherano. It got younger in defense with the additions of defenders Gonzalo Lujan, 23 years old and Maxi Falcon (27), and midfielders Telasco Segovia (21), to go along with Noah Allen (20) and Ian Fray (22).
While Miami still tends to tilt toward the opponent’s goal with its formation, it has the speed and stamina to better cover ground behind Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba that it didn’t last year. Atlanta United took advantage of those spaces repeatedly with counterattacks in last season’s five meetings. This version of Miami has allowed just four goals in seven matches across all competitions.
Of course, that quartet is what makes Miami so dangerous. Suarez and Messi scored in Thursday’s win over Cavalier. Segovia leads the team with three goals.
“They hurt you really hard when you do a mistake,” Deila said. “So they are accurate, they are effective. We need to be ourselves. Number one, play with that intensity that we always have done, and then take advantage also of that (chances created).”
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Atlanta United’s 2025 schedule
Feb. 22 Atlanta United 3, Montreal 2
March 1 Charlotte 2, Atlanta United 0
March 8 Atlanta United 0, New York Red Bulls 0
March 16 vs. Miami, 7 p.m., Apple
March 22 at Cincinnati, 2:30 p.m., Apple
March 29 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 5 vs. Dallas, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 12 vs. New England, 2:30 p.m., Apple, Fox
April 19 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 26 at Orlando, 7 p.m., Apple, Fox
May 3 vs. Nashville, 2:30 p.m., Apple, Fox
May 10 at Chicago, 2:30 p.m., Apple
May 14 at Austin, 8:30 p.m., Apple
May 17 vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 25 vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m., Apple
May 28 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 31 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 12 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 25 at Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 28 at Miami, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 5 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 12 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 16 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m., Apple, FS1
July 19 vs. Charlotte, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 26 vs. Seattle, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 30 vs. Necaxa, Leagues Cup
Aug. 2. vs. Pumas in Orlando, Leagues Cup
Aug. 6 vs. Atlas, Leagues Cup
Aug. 9 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 16 at Colorado, 9:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 24 vs. Toronto, 5 p.m., Apple
Aug. 30 at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Apple
Sept. 13 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 20 vs. San Diego, 4:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 27 at New England, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 5 at LAFC, 10:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 18 vs. D.C. United, 6 p.m., Apple
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