September 2, 2020: Atlanta United 0, Miami 0

Wednesday afternoon started with Atlanta United selling Pity Martinez to a club in Saudi Arabia.

The night ended with the team drawing Inter Miami 0-0 in a mostly drab match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in which the team certainly didn’t “grab the game by the scruff of the neck,” as interim manager Stephen Glass had hoped.

Glass said that the late news about Martinez affected the game plan. Glass said he was told Tuesday night that something was happening with Martinez but he planned as if he would have him.

“We did all the prep work expecting him to play,” he said. “It does affect your prep when you are going over corners, free kicks and build up play. We still had enough on the pitch to do a little bit better in the final third.”

Glass said he didn’t think the news of the Martinez sale affected the team mentally, other than players wishing that he was in the lineup.

Facing an expansion team that had yet to post a shutout, Atlanta United was held scoreless for the fourth time in its past six league games. It finished with just five shots, one on goal. Despite being dominated in possession, Miami took 10 shots, putting three on goal and looked like the better team for most of the match, especially in the last 10 minutes.

Atlanta United posted its second shutout this season but it didn’t seem like much of a bright spot.

“It wasn’t great,” goalkeeper and captain Brad Guzan said of the performance. “We need to be realistic. When a performance isn’t to the standard we expect, we can’t kid ourselves. The last 20 minutes we were holding on. we need to be able to manage the game better. We need to be better with the ball. still need to dictate the tempo of the game. Late we weren’t able to do that.”

Atlanta United (3-4-1) will play at Orlando on Saturday.

Glass’ first 11 post-Pity included Erick Torres in his first start at striker ahead of Ezequiel Barco, Matheus Rossetto and Brooks Lennon in the midfield. Emerson Hyndman and Eric Remedi manned the defensive midfield. Edgar Castillo got his first start of the season at left fullback, Franco Escobar on the right with a centerback pairing of Miles Robinson and Anton Walkes. Guzan started in goal. Inter Miami’s starting lineup included two former Atlanta United players: centerback Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and winger Brek Shea.

Atlanta United had the best first chance in the 11th minute when Lennon put in a long, looping cross to Torres, who was left unmarked yards from the goal by Miami’s centerbacks. But Torres’ left-footed volley sailed yards over the goal and into the empty stands. Torres said the play happened fast and he wasn’t sure if goalkeeper Luis Robles was going to come out. He opened up and struck the ball with the inside of his weaker foot. He regretted the miss, noting that it was his only opportunity in the game. He said he would study the play and try to do better next time.

But it was a shot and there were just two more in the remainder of the half. None were on goal.

“First part of game never got into a rhythm of any sort,” Guzan said. “It wasn’t ideal. Our work rate, our desire, our tenacity was much better today than it was against Orlando.”

Glass said the team needs more confidence in the final third.

Miami created more chances, mostly down its right against Castillo, and missed a point-blank chance in the 40th minute when Nicolas Figal shanked a chance wide.

Atlanta United finally put a shot on goal in the 48th minute but it was taken from 30 yards away and saved easily.

Miami missed another chance in the 56th minute when Gonzalez Pirez stuck out a right foot and, like Torres, put his shot over the goal when a tap in was all that was needed.

Miami wasted yet another chance when Barco turned over the ball about 30 yards from goal. Miami created a 2-on-1 situation but Rodolfo Pizarro, open in the penalty box, didn’t get the ball back from his teammate. The shot was saved.

Glass really rolled the dice in the 62nd minute when he put on Tyler Wolff, a Homegrown signing making his debut, and Jake Mulraney for Hyndman and Barco, who appeared to argue with someone on the coaching staff as he left the field. The move left Atlanta United without any of its Designated Players and trying to find a winning goal.

Glass said he removed the two because he is trying to manage their minutes to keep them available for more games. Both recently missed games because of “lower body” injuries.

Atlanta United had a free kick claim just outside of the 18-yard box denied in the 68th minute when Lennon was brought down by Andres Reyes after chasing down a long pass by Robinson.