2's Review 9/25/24: The Home Finale With Inter Miami II

Welcome to your twoes review for the last home match of the regular season for Atlanta United Too, enter Miami two comes to town. We'll have the highlights, have your post and lay everything out for you. As a Land United has just the one match remaining. We'll go over the standings in the MLS Next Pro as well in the Eastern Conference where at Land United too can be spoiler heading into the last week of the regular season. Last weekend of the regular season with the matchup coming

Good low pass all the way across the Gayjardo overlap from Edwards. He receives it in the eighteen drives in across, it's deflected back to Armis, shot blocked and deflected still there in the six until Jensen grabs it.

Nanny couldn't get on it.

Armis tried to sidefoot that one through traffic, It got blocked and was bouncing around the top of the six until Cole Jensen claimed it. Drop back to Armis, through to Gayjardo turns it inside, Armis runs through an arm tackle Armis to the left side to Chongquei chu Quei low drive saved by Jensen, nearly found Fermino. Think chong

Chawn Quee to.

The end line with the nutmeg and he's bodied off of it on the far side.

No call. Goal kick.

Zeltzer Zubita cuts in on the right foot, puts in a cross intended for Carmichael. That's gonna skip all the way out on the far side.

Goal kick.

In the twenty eighth minute for Atlanta, Barton Cessock long ball over the top to pick out Carmichael. Hibbert comes for it, doesn't get their goal. Goal goal Miami that quickly. It's a long ball down the right side from Cessock to Carmichael. Hibbert was a step slow to come for it, and Ryan Carmichael just pops it over the Atlanta goalkeeper

The right foot, takes the shot. Jensen pushes it.

Wide corner Atlanta and Miami will try to clear with bisave and that will do it for the first forty.

Five, So one mill at the break. What would happen in the second forty five? Here's your highlights once again courtesy of the SDH Network, with Jason on the call. At Laney ninety two, trying to chase after an equalizer and come away with points at home for the last time in twenty twenty four.

Barmichael put it right at Jade and Hibberty makes a comfortable save, throws it out to Fermino, taps it around Martinez. Nick Fermino, driving down the middle, cuts it around Carmichael. He's got Guyjardo to the left, Mattias top of the eighteen Mattias. Guy Jardo chips into the back side over the bar.

Shawn Que.

It slipped out of his hands on the throat, went behind Carlton. Miami saw it first. They try to play through Atlanta's pressure. Armis blocks it, but it's back to Ferreira.

Atlanta.

Kawasmi, he's just decked by Zeltzer Zubita, who's on a yellow card. Zeltzer Zubita goes down because he knows that he might be in some big trouble if he doesn't. Was an unnecessary challenge on Ramsey. Kawasmi. He's in a lot of pain all the way across to the left to f Thray Morales down on the left side for Chawn Que Gordon making a run. He'll receive it from dom Ashton. With the cross sliding effort from Nedri, he just can't quite.

Get to it.

It's put out on the far side VI the sab corner Atlanta. Brilliant play from the two few youngsters from the Atlanta Academy Chong Queen to Gordon nearly found Netri, all under the age of twenty.

Atlanta can't find the combination.

Gordon will leave it for Aiden Torris, who has the longer throw of the bunch. F Ray Morales going up into the eighteen. Dorris, he will launch this into the eighteen almost of the ninety minute mark played. Thrown in headed home by Okello, but caught by Jensen and he falls to the ground clutching it.

Miami will play it long.

Javier Armis wins it back, drop back to f Rain Morales, over to the left to Caden more Atlanta's got to get forward and they gotta go fast.

Here's Dominic Chong Qui.

He turns, walks the tightrope, carries it forward, pass inside behind Herlock almost got to Gordon. Miami's gonna clear. Caden Moore called for the foul. It's over the head of Cooper Sanchez. Javier Armis will bring it down forward to Cooper. Cooper hacked down and another nasty challenge from Miami. Show a yellow card and it means nothing at this point. Another just dirty challenge in the midfield from Miami. Hate

The clock ticks away.

If time is not that added back on, you should have an extra minute for the two yellow cards that have been shown. We'll see if that happens. Hibbert will run it down the middle third. We're still playing. We're past the five. Puts it down the middle. Ledesma finds it. He picks out a pass down the left, Santiago Morales breaking in Hibbert trying to get back to the eighteen Stephen Hurlock chases all the way back to prevent the shot and wins the ball back Aiden Taurus dispossessed on

He turns he's.

Got Chong Quee down the left, the cross into the six and cat by Jensen and that will do it.

So that's your final score. We'll go over the standings coming up in just a little bit. But Maddie got to catch up with captain Hobby Armis and head coach Steve Cook after the match. Here's their conversations after the loss to Enter Miami too.

All right, I guess the first question overall thoughts on how the game went and everything with the result.

Yeah, I think I think it was much better than the last games, especially at home. He's very important for us. No garis Coron, especially early on. I think they did half a lot of chances and the executory well that times that they had. I think we followed in the whole game. I man, we didn't give up, and we show like, Okay, we wanted to show the fans that even though we're not gonna get in the playoffs, like we're still fighting and we were fighting for this club.

I want to ask to you've kind of taken on the captain's arm band role for the most of the season. Now, what was it like stepping into that role for you?

It was it was very good. I love it. I love anything. I've been a captain in almost all the teams I play SINSI I'm very young, so I think it's a skill that I have within myself.

I just love to help people.

And now that I'm a little bit older than other young people in here, so it's good then if I can help them with something, and it's good for them also to have someone that they can they can ask questions something like that. So it was it was nice for me to have the role.

I don't know if you know, you've played an every single game for the twos, all ninety minutes. What does that mean to you?

It means a lot. It means a lot, especially well, the feeling of just being healthy, you know, being able to play every single minute is something amazing. As a soccer player are sometimes we don't value in as much. You know, sometimes we lose in the last game, for example, we're losing kind of like the last games, and I'm frustrated and I'm mad, but at the end it's like okay, and I'm able to play every single minute. You know, I'm at least I'm here, I'm playing, I'm fighting for the team.

You know.

I'm so grateful to have this opportunity, and it's just a blessing.

Looking at the season as a whole, what are some of your biggest takeaways from the season.

Biggest takeaway, I think that this team is able to do like great things like we saw you know, you know this year we'll already be telling you with a lot of different different player comings and a lot of changes in the club and things like that. But I think this team is able to do like great things, you know, when we are all toated, when we are in the same page and we have a great I think good chemistry, you know between all the players, good relationships,

That will be my last.

Question for you.

I mean, what has it been like to really get to know everyone in this group and really become a team and really in a family, almost all of you guys.

Yeah, it's amazing. It's amazing. At the same time, it's sad because now that is professional football. You never know what's gonna happen next year with a lot of players, you know. So it's not like college that I play four years before, or like academy players with the same girl for aller for a lot of years. So here it's just so nice to it you know, different people, and also sad to see them live, you know.

I guess starting a what are your initial thoughts headed out of this match?

Controlled the game throughout.

I think they've had one shot and it goes in. I think obviously the ball behind has killed us and the space is way too big, no pressure on the ball, and that's what happens. I think it was a great finish from I think Carmichael for them.

Really.

Disappointing to give that goal away.

Then middle of the first half, when we were actually playing really well, creating so many chances ball wide, creating two v ones, absolutely dominant with the ball getting in the primuses so on, playing crosses in nobody there. I think that was the frustrating part tonight is that we're putting so many good attempts to score and we just couldn't get.

A touch on it.

Players not there, And I think that's the frustrating part tonight. You know, I think we've played well enough to score three and four and five. But that's why the big guys get paid the most money because they stick it in the net when they get one chance. So that's the frustrating part. But the reality is players four extremely hard. They kept going throughout. I think there's some good performances from a few guys, a couple of the young ones at the end getting on and doing a good job.

What we do here with our young players and seeing the development of the group and the club.

And I think without them, it's not really professional football. So I think to them, I think the biggest, the biggest compliment goes because it's not easy to come out on a Tuesday night and watch, you know, a reserve team.

And credit to those guys.

They come out, they are with us all the time, they support as no matter what, and I think I think they're the ones who deserve the most credit.

Tonight, I will ask I don't.

Know if you knew a fan was brought up to do the PA announcement for you guys, Yeah, initial thoughts about the p announcement?

Did you hear it or not focus on the game?

You know.

I would love to say that I pay attention to that kind of thing, but I don't. But let me tell you he was fantastic and I can only say great things. It was amazing, even though I didn't quite know that. So yeah, obviously, when when games are about to kick off, my head's usually in a different place altogether. But I don't usually hear anything, if I'm being honest, other than my own voices in my own head.

But but yeah, good, good for that. I'm glad that that that happened, because that's a that's a cool way to end an end ye with that.

Looking at this season as a whole, what have been some of the biggest things that you have learned? And the biggest takeaways from this season?

HM that you can dominate as many games as you you can have the ball, you can create opportunities, you can do well in wide areas with one of the best teams in the league in that kind of regard. But if you don't have people who can score goals, it's going to be very difficult.

To win games.

And I think we often in this league there's some high scoring games and.

That kind of thing.

And obviously tonight we you know, Kareem's our top scorer. He's suspended, so that that's difficult. But I think throughout the year is really you know, I don't know whether we've you know, you learn about the players. You learn about them. That's what this is for. You give the young players an opportunity. You give them a chance to shine, to be themselves, to be part of a professional group and with a chance to have an opportunity to go forward.

I'm going to sound like a broken record. I thought Dominic Chunk he was great again.

And that's that's quite a few minutes in a row. Now, that's that's several games now where he's been very good. And though I thought the first team players that came down, Matt Edwards, Effro Morales, and Nick for me know, we're a big piece of what we did tonight, So I think, you know, you continue to learn.

You always reevaluate.

You always look at the players and see what they're doing, and some surprise you and do it exceptionally well, and then some of you you want a bit more from.

But credit to the players.

It's not a lack of effort. It's not a lack of passion from them. It's not not anything like that. It's you know, we've lost tonight because they scored one chance that they had and we couldn't.

We couldn't score off.

What has been like watching this group really connect and form these relationships and be a cohesive unit on the field, especially from the beginning of the season to now seeing them now, Like, what has it been like to watch that?

Really cool?

Because I said this yesterday actually in a meeting, that that this group of players have been so enjoyable to work with.

They've been so.

Committed to the game and to working and to each other. You know, they're just a really good character personality group. You know, it's always been a pleasure to work with them, and they come all the time. They always don't know for the most part, they have a smile on their faces and they.

Get to work and do a really good job.

And that can be a Monday morning early and you know, we're early at the training ground and some of them stay late as well, and you know a lot of days where we've been with each other, probably more than our families.

You know, a lot of times of the year when you do that.

And this group of players have been nothing but exemplary and how they've behaved and how they've acted with each other. And I think as a coach, that is something that's really gratifying, because without that, it can become a long year.

But they've they've been terrific and we've got.

One more game to go, so I don't want to let them off the hug yet. But we have another big game in Philadelphia on Sunday.

And then to wrap up the broadcast for the last home match of the season, here's Jason's thoughts on twenty twenty four from the home perspective and what we've been able to watch and see here in person and be able to tell you about here on the SDH Network.

Welcome back to fit Third Stadium here in Kennesaw for the final time in twenty twenty four, Atlanta United to fall to enter Miami to.

One nil in the home.

Finale in MLS Next Pro this season. Ryan Carmichael's goal was the difference for Miami.

That came fairly early in the match.

A good start for Atlanta United too, they were unable to find an opening. The game started to turn as the night went on, and Miami ended up getting that goal. Get the final stats for you here in just a second. A wild second half, Atlanta threw everything forward, but they weren't able to find it. Carmichael's goal came in the thirty second on a pass from Nicholas Sessok got to it first as Hibbert was a step slow to come out for it. Carmichael was able to put it over

I'm sure.

It's been very cool to see this group this season. It's been a fun year for Atlanta United to watching the growth of this team and so many individuals. We could run through so many storylines here as we wrap up our Atlanta United to Home coverage for the twenty twenty four season. Just a couple that I wanted to highlight. You look at the individuals I mentioned to Mimi. Nine goals on the year, one away from getting into double digits.

Had a chance to talk to him last week.

We'll have a feature on Soccer down Here dot Net later this week on Centeno, what he's meant to this team, what he's meant to this group in particular, and what they've missed with him out and it's been substantial. Is he's been very, very good at right back in twenty twenty four. Four assists in fifteen starts for Eric Centteno Dominic Choonkwe his emergence two goals right away after jumping into the team, ended up sixteen games up to this point,

That's seen him get more time with the first team.

Played forty five minutes at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night in first team action. Daniel Russo an injury very early in the season.

What could have been for him?

He had an assist in his two games, only got one hundred and thirty five minutes on the field. Hopefully we see Russo fully recover and get back on the field in twenty twenty five. As you guys know, this roster always turns over.

A good bit.

We've gotten to know a lot a lot of these guys over the years and it's always been a pleasure covering this team and getting to tell their stories. And as you know, we try to keep you up to date with what's going on with these guys when they do move on.

Guys like Aiden McFadden who's gone on to.

Louisville and turned into a little bit of a folk he roup in Louisville with Low City, a great move for him. Philip Goodrum there with him now, Guys who have moved on with our old friend Stephen Glass in Memphis, Jackson Conway in Charleston. This year, we will keep you up to date on the stories of all of these guys. But this twenty twenty four season for Atlanta United to

On the field.

The results haven't always been there, they've been there in a lot better margin this year than they have in some previous years. But overall, the quality of the performance, the quality of the development of these players, and the quality of the people that have worn the Atlanta United Too badge in twenty twenty four, it won't be forgotten anytime soon, not by us here at the SDH Network.

All right, So let's break down how things are at MLS next Pro and how it is in the Eastern Conference, specifically with one match in the regular season for Atlanta United two after the one nil loss last night at the Fraction, So your standings in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is in second place. They are in the postseason, but they are two points behind with two matches to go