Following a defeat in Nashville, Atlanta United heads to Ft. Lauderdale to face Inter Miami, a prime opportunity to return to winning ways.
Matchday 11 Preview: Inter Miami CF
Inter Miami comes into this match against Atlanta United on a high note after winning their last match 2-1 vs the Columbus Crew. The season to that point was a story of demise and loss. Going into that match, Miami lost their previous six matches.
Their start to the season sees them placed 12th in the Eastern Conference with 9 points (3 wins and 6 losses). The rocky start has led to Phil Neville being on the hot seat, and a favorite to be the first coach fired in the league. Many of the issues for Miami stem from player availability and injuries.
Early in the season, midfielder and club captain Gregore sustained a long-term injury keeping him out of action for 6 months. That loss in midfield was compounded by an injury to attacker Leo Campana, who missed extended time with a calf injury.
This week it was announced that midfielder Jean Mota would miss 4-6 months with a knee injury suffered in the Columbus match. Similar to Brad Guzan’s injury, he suffered it early in the match and completed the game despite the injury.
The absence of Campana did not bode well for the Miami attack. Former Atlanta United forward Josef Martinez is yet to score in his 7 appearances for his new club. In his return from injury last week, Campana scored 2 goals, leading Miami to victory. Campana is a warmly welcomed return with the attack scoring less than a goal per game without him.
Cover in the midfield was obtained following the Gregore injury with the signing of Dixon Arroyo. After the second injury to Mota, the midfield is light in depth. Victor Ulloa is the only remaining option in the deep area of midfield. On the other hand, Miami possesses depth in the attacking midfield areas with the likes of Rodolfo Pizzaro and homegrown talents David Ruiz and Benjamin Cremaschi.
A shakeup in the lineup from Neville saw Cremaschi get his first start for the side. He provided an assist on his debut and much-needed fluidity in attack.
The defense has been the strength of the Miami team thus far. MLS All-Star Kamal Miller was acquired from Montreal and formed a formidable pairing with fellow acquisition Serhiy Kryvtsov. The fullback pairing of Franco Negri and DeAndre Yedlin rounds out a veteran backline.
Goalkeeper Drake Callender has been the most consistent performer on the team. He leads the league in saves per 90 minutes and boasts an 80.8% save percentage. These marks are significant considering the volume of shots he has endured this season. His performances earned him a call-up to the USMNT for the Continental Clásico in April.
Atlanta United
Atlanta United come into this match off the back of two straight defeats, in all competitions. They began last week’s match against Nashville well before the cream rose to the top and Nashville took control of the match.
Their flying start to the season has been hindered by player availability issues as well. Atlanta will be without at least two key players of their own for this match.
Following a mixed week of training, Giorgos Giakoumakis will be held out of this match, missing a second consecutive match. In his absence last week, Gonzalo Pineda opted to start Machop Chol over Miguel Berry. Berry entered the game in the second half in place of Chol. The offense without Giakoumakis in the lineup has been spotty this season similar to Miami without Campana.
A changed lineup also saw Caleb Wiley return to the left-wing position in favor of Derrick Etienne. Etienne came on as a substitute in the second half and occupied the right flank, his first action on that side. As Luiz Araujo looks to regain form and comes into this match with his availability in question due to injury, Etienne could see a return to the lineup.
After being held out of last week’s match for a lingering lower leg ailment, Franco Ibarra will miss this match after entering league concussion protocol this week.
Ibarra’s presence has been missed in the midfield but has been covered well by Santiago Sosa. Sosa has been most frequently partnered in the midfield with Matheus Rossetto. That partnership could be due to continue or Amar Sejdic could make a return to the lineup as the midfield looks to rebound creatively.
Following a period of frequent shifting, the backline has regained some continuity. With each member healthy the backline should remain consistent bar any changes moving Brooks Lennon further up the field. Quentin Westberg remains questionable through injury so Clement Diop should be due to start this match.
Given the circumstances for both teams leading into this match, Atlanta United has a prime opportunity to rebound and leave DRV PNK Stadium with all three points from Inter Miami. The fanfare of this match will be highlighted by Josef Martinez playing for the first time against his former club.
With a match against lowly Charlotte FC on the horizon, three points this week could compound into six catapulting Atlanta United back into form.
Atlanta United (5-3-2) vs Inter Miami CF (3-0-6)
- When: May 6th, 6:30 EST
- Where: DRV PNK Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
- How to Watch: MLS Season Pass – Apple TV+
For more information on Atlanta United this season, click the links below;
For more football news this season, click the link below;
Check out Area Sports Network on Twitter & Instagram and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. We just hit 1k subscribers and look to continue to grow the channel. Stay tuned for more content going forward!
