929TheGame's Abe Gordon on SDH 11/11/24: Full Breakdown on ATLUTD

you just can't kill these guys. And it's gotta be what Miami's thinking today after they take a lead and then almost immediately see it evaporate and it's just one of these things like all right, I shot him in the chest like we're good now, and it's like, no, man, he just sat up like the undertaker. Like that's what this team does, and that's what they've done this whole

playoff run. Like it's really been impressive to see the way they've responded, especially in the first half of games over the course of this because that was one of the bugaboos that I think cost them quite a bit in the regular season with slow starts and having to find adjustments and always trailing stuff like that, just so

it doesn't seem to bother them. You combine that with and I don't remember the exact stat, but like nine of the last eleven goals or whatever it is, eight of the last ten have been scored by different players, and it's just everyone gets a little piece of the action. And obviously Tira has been a star, and he's been

one of the guys that has scored a couple. Sava's got a couple, but you know, you go back down the list and Bartos Sleish's name hadn't been seen until this past week, and he obviously tallied the big one. It's just one of these things where you know, you would ask me at different times, like my level of confidence, and it's like, there's no reason not to be confident, Like I don't care that it's on the road. You have performed as well, really better than anyone in the

entire league against that Miami team. For whatever reason, it's an odd matchup. Maybe it's a mentality thing, maybe it's a formation thing, maybe it's just one guy just seems to stick out. But you perform well against Miami. I mean I both am surprised, but at the same time,

like credit to the players, I'm not surprised. Like I didn't walk into this game against Miami Saturday night being like, oh, take a miracle to win, Like no, Like we've played them straight up four times this season and really gone right at them. Even in the games that we lost,

we were right there with them and frustrated. And the thing I've always said about Inner Miami is that they're great front runners, and what they do they take a lead, right, but then they get a bigger lead, and a bigger lead and a bigger lead, and that's where they play comfortable at Landy and I has had this crazy ability again, not just on Saturday Night, all season long to okay, inter Miami takes a lead, that lead doesn't increase, and

I think they've gotten continually frustrated by it. And obviously the maximum frustration would be Saturday night where you take that lead and then in like five and a half minutes you're trailing and you're like, all right, well, like forget like running away with this three to one, Like we've got to battle our butts off just to try and get back in it. So it's been a crazy

run for Atlandy United. For whatever reason, they match up so well Withinner Miami and it led to statistically or argumentatively, whatever you want it to be, the biggest upset the MLS Cup playoff.

to score, They want to score. They want to score because they have so many issues at the back, whether it's inexperienced younger players, injuries, having to take the players that you have on your roster put them in unfamiliar positions, and when Loyla Marymount played Michigan in the tournament, that was when Michigan, you know, stepped up, played some defense.

Loyla Marymount didn't hit all their shots, and they end up exiting the tournament earlier than a lot of folks would have liked for them to, considering the storyline that was attached to that program at the time. You end up with a group where if you can get the ball away from them and go and transition the other way, you're instantly down to defenders because Messian Suarez rarely could come back defensively and would come back because they were

managing their managing their energy at the time. So basically it was ten v eight in a normal situation. But then you get them in transition, you got your speed, and you're trying to get back to dudes playing unnatural positions and drake calendars like you know, okay, so I've got to get ready here. So that to me was what stuck in my head. It reminded me of going up against Loyle and Merrymount.

doubt about that. And look, I don't know what it is about Atlanta that was able to keep Miami off the board in those situations. It scrambles, The team scrambles incredibly well defensively obviously goose the last two games, this whole series. You know, what are you gonna say? I mean, a complete turn back the clock effort. Some of the best performances he's had in a five strikes uniform have

come over the last month and a half. I mean, there's just no other way to describe what he's done recently, including mistakes that he's made. And I know he made one against Montreal and it cost Alania United a goal. He made one against Inner Miami, it cost Alania United goal. The team has picked him up, but at the same time, he's picked them up. That's part of a little bit of a give and take relationship between the ten field

players and the goalie. And it's just it felt like Miami was always gonna be in a situation in this game where they could get frustrated easily. And now how much would that impact their play is a different question. Like Liono Messi is obviously the greatest and so he's not gonna press or have frustration impact his play, But there are other guys on that team that I'm not sure you would say that, And so you know, it

always felt like that. But look at Landy and Nited do what they had to do, and you don't need to score seven goals against the Miami defense that we don't think is great. You just need to score one more than they did. And that's what happened. It was just an odd combination of you probably prevented a couple

of goals that in other situations Miami might score. And the one thing we've always asked about at Lanty United, especially again, like we've had this crazy run where I think they've now won five in their last six and they don't look like dramatically different as a team now, I do think they've had better starts in games just in general. The only real difference, John is the XG and the actual G. The gap has shrunk. They're finishing

their chances. I mean, how many times over the course of this season where this team was not performing up to the standards we believe they were capable of. Was just about they're unlucky the balances and they're not finishing chances, and how do you be more clinical in front of goal? Like we went through all those discussions like we don't need to have them anymore. That's really the only difference. Like as dumb as that sounds, it really does feel

like that's the only difference. I mean, you had how many chances, like real chances in that game and you come away with three goals. I mean Jamal Tierray finished the moments and the strikes that he needed to finish. And it's just been it's been not just this one final game three either, like it's been in this run where you finished the chances and you've been clinical and you've buried opportunities. You weren't doing that for the majority

of the season. And obviously, I think now you can see just the simple difference that makes and when you see because Atlanta and I was always pretty decent at creating some of these chances, Now that you're finishing a good portion of them, you get your actual G somewhere near the x G and you're starting to rack cup wins.

There's no doubt about it. So the biggest caveat has just been finishing the chances that you've been presented, especially against a team like you mentioned against Miami, where's it's gonna come in numbers, It's gonna come in counters, and they did that. They put Miami in real trouble and Miami couldn't respond.

at the other part of it. Total shots on the day, twenty five for Inner Miami and it was nine for a Landy United. Like I said, we mentioned the number of saves for Brad seventeen fouls called eleven of those on Atlanta United on the day, and then you go down into the defensive categories and there was one category that just absolutely blew my mind and it had to

do with clearances. So we mentioned the number of shots that Inner Miami took a Landa United on the day, forty one clearances defensively compared to nine for Inner Miami. That shows you what that defense was doing there at the back in front of Brad to make sure Inner Miami wasn't gonna score.

over the bar. Those weren't registered to shots on goal. They weren't registered to saves, and so Atlanta United a little break with kind of the inverts of what they've done is clinical finishing Miami. I would say, not so much on the night. So but look, the job is clear anytime you're facing inter Miami, especially anytime they can get not just into the attacking third, but really beyond that about twenty five and in a little bit tighter than the full Third's the that's the red zone for them.

I mean, that's their target area. And they've got guys that can hit fringe, but they're gonna try and play it in the box too. And obviously with Messi's footwork with Suarez has one touchability. It can it can come out of a tight space and so just get the ball out and kind of regather. And I think the times we've seen Atlanta United try and build from the back, and at times that has been beneficial and work. But I think you've also seen Atlanta and I United costs

themselves trying to build out the back. Sometimes where they've made a mistake, They've given a team an extra that maybe they didn't work hard enough to earn, and you pay the price for it. I think it was absolutely a mentality of look, they're gonna try and build and build and build. Let's make them build from the back. Let's get this ball out of danger for the moment kind of resettle in. I mean, look, there's there's just it was such a strong effort from Laney and United.

It really was like, there's not many criticisms. I think the fact that you didn't play Miami's game with the fouling and the arguing and the cry baby and the diving, like like just just staying composed, like just looking at that perspective alone, staying composed and not falling into their traps, both in terms of that aspect but also on the

field what they're trying to do. It really says what it needs to say, as does the advancement of the team about the way Ron Valentino has prepared this team has detailed and explained to them, Hey, this is what's going to happen. We need to be ready and make sure you avoid this or that. Again, both from a mentality standpoint and from it on the field tactic standpoint.

forty accurate passing eighty three percent. He had the one shot on target, four of six on the dribble one. Nine of thirteen of his ground duels missed as it was one for one in the year, so ten of fourteen and duel's both air and on the ground. And he had four clearances, two blocks, five picks, five total tackles, one dribble pass. So you're talking a handful of different defensive categories and showing up more than once in each

of those categories. Bart Sleish was a maniac in this match in the midfield going up against Inner Miami.

quiet every game. I feel like we bus bust his ass and runs a lot. We see the mileage total that he and Sava put up at the end, and then every once in a while he gets into the attack and does what he does, you know, either a shot from from range that that threatens or or gets in the air and puts one home like he did

Saturday night. I feel like he actually is like one of the best kept secrets in the MLS, you know, and from a team here in Atlanta United that had Nagby that kind of was a guy that teams would gain plan around and know what a force Nagby was in that defensive midfield spot. I think Sleash is kind of flying under the radar and then now we recognize it. And I agree he's noticed by Atlanta United, but it just feels like no one's game planning around him, and

maybe they should be. Uh maybe I shouldn't put that out there and give Orlando Orlando City any clues, But like, yeah, he's a problem for opposing teams. And when you paired him with the stellar job that Dax McCarty had done in this series as well, those two guys paired up quite well, and they give you the opportunity to move Jay Fortune around, move Saba around, move Ron Chuck around, and still feel pretty good defensively. But look, there's no

doubt about it. Like we brought in Sleash with that group of incoming players, and he wasn't really the biggest name. He wasn't the guy that excited you the most. And I don't know if this is fair to say, because I think Saba's in this discussion and there's some other guys, but like Bartow's, Lee really does feel like the heartbeat

of this team a little bit. Maybe not from a vocal standpoint, well at least as far as I can tell, certainly not from a vocal standpoint, but from what he does, what he gives on the field, he kind of does enter that discussion and he's never asking for the acclamation, right and he just does what he does and if people notice, great, and if they don't notice all the same,

but he's been outstanding. I know there's been a couple of bumpy spots for him this season, so it's been really nice to see him rebound perform the way he's done. And again, I just like, like I'm kind of saying, I hope everyone notices just how integral and important he is to what Alani United does moving forward but also moving backwards.

category of intangibles. And then you know that would be the wink, wink, nudge, nudge, you know, how'd you do?

doing what we're doing. Everything will be fine. We believe that you're gonna you know that everything's gonna work itself out in the end. Having that kind of an intangible of belief not just in yourself, but from those around you and from the staff, everything from game plan to implementation. Having that kind of an intangible on this run of five of six, on this run to get you into the Eastern Conference semifinals, I think that also speaks volumes.

When you have all of this positivity that is here at the right time of the season.

You look at Miami, there are players on that team who are looking at Messi and say you need to do this for us, who are looking at Suarez and say I'm waiting on you to equalize. There is none of that for Lady United. There is nobody on this team that's looking at another guy and say, all right, man, it's your time. Pick us up. We don't rely on any one player. I think that's important as to part of the intangibles as well, and part of the belief is really a lack of belief. You're not waiting on

someone else to do the job. You go do the job yourself. And I think it all rounds itself into that same discussion. I mean, look, you use your last sub at the end of the game on Noah Cobb. What does he do? He comes in, he clears a ball off the line, A second ball comes in, he wins the header to clear it out of danger. Like, these are guys that you're not counting on in key moments to make big plays. I think we've seen that

from a guy like Pedro Amador at times. I think we've seen that from Jay Fortune, who stepped up in times. This was the first MLS start in what feels like two months for Tristan Moyamba, and I think he did admirably, especially considering he hadn't been in the flow of things. I mean, every guy is doing his role, his responsibility. No one's sitting there watching and waiting someone else to

pick up this team. And I think that partially goes into that discussion of belief, is like they're all in it together, like there's this true unit, like this true togetherness feeling Fortlanty United right now that we really don't see a lot of across the MLS. A lot of these teams are led by these premier goal scorers and if you can get this guy the ball, then you can win games. But if that guy doesn't tally, you're in real trouble. Like we see that all the time

in the MLS. That that's not the approach for Landi United, and so between it's just us, the fea stuff like we're together mixed with like before this game, and not that it maybe would have mattered, but like before this game, you saw the two seed go out, you saw the three seed go out, like why wouldn't there be reason for belief? Yep, you fared better than anyone else against

Miami the entire course of the season. Like, why wouldn't you believe, like like you've been pretty good on the road in this stretch of five or six games, Like there's nothing that should have said you have no business winning this game. No, yeah, I would argue it's the other way. You have every bit a reason to win this game. Again, it wasn't gonna take a miracle. It was only gonna take you to perform the way you performed, not just in five of your last six, but just

in general against Inner Miami all season long. So they should have had belief, they should have had confidence, they should have stuck together. They did, and it's been a great run that I hope continues in two weeks on a Sunday.

at three point thirty. On the twenty fourth, five stripes countdown will be at two thirty, so we'll be rocking and ready to go as always.