(via Atlanta United)
2024 Atlanta United: A playoff team.
No, really. After entering Saturday with about a 10% chance at making the playoffs, everything that needed to break Atlanta United’s way broke Atlanta United’s way. That included but was not limited to: D.C. United’s stummy hurting in a 3-0 home loss to Charlotte, the Union falling 2-1 to FC Cincinnati via a goal from Yamil Asad (!) and an atrocious own goal from Jakob Glesnes, and, most remarkably, Atlanta United going down to Orlando and earning a 2-1 win.
Don’t forget, the Lions were the hottest team in the league heading into Saturday. They needed at least a point to ensure they clinched a home playoff spot. Beyond it simply being a matchup against a rival, they had real incentive to win this.
But it’s not just that Atlanta beat a red-hot team in a must-win scenario, it’s how they did it. Atlanta United had scored four goals all season inside the first 30 minutes of matches. They scored twice inside the first 16 minutes of this one.
Yes, they eventually faltered and let in an avoidable goal that got Orlando back into the game—this is still 2024 Atlanta United after all—but they saw the result through and, for the first time in a long time, caught all the breaks. That’s something to be celebrated.
And so is whatever happens next.
Ok, maybe “celebrated” is
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Five Stripe Final to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.