Decision Day held stakes for Atlanta United, and the club needed a strong performance to at least keep their hopes alive to qualify for the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. The team stepped up in a massive way Saturday with a 2-1 win on the road over one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference, Orlando City SC.
Not only did the three points pave the way for Atlanta United's playoff-clinching night, bringing the team from 12th to 9th place in the Eastern Conference table, it also earned honors for three members of the group. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan and interim head coach Rob Valentino both were named to the MLS Team of the Matchday, the league announced Monday afternoon. Additionally, Saba Lobjanidze was named to the bench for his opening goal.
Rob Valentino
The team needed several things to occur in order to clinch their playoff spot, but the most important task on Saturday was to win. For that reason, Atlanta United used the two weeks of preparation to focus on Orlando.
At media availability after training on October 17, Valentino reiterated the motivation behind getting three points:
"The mentality is to focus only on the task at hand, which is to win... We're not going to focus on anything else other than our game."
Wins from Charlotte FC and FC Cincinnati on Decision Day helped the Eastern Conference table clear a path for Atlanta United to jump above the playoff line -- but that wouldn't have happened if Atlanta United lost or tied in Orlando.
The confidence Valentino brought to his team helped his group come out on the front foot and score two goals in the opening 16 minutes of the match.
"You could see the emotion on Rob after the game," center back Derrick Williams said after the match. "I'm just happy for him. He had his back against the wall. It's been a hard season. Kept fighting, kept plugging away. Like he said in there, we don't want to be finished now."
The win over Orlando City shouldn't be dismissed as an easy feat. The Lions entered Decision Day as one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference since July 1. Entering October 19, they won six of their previous seven matches and finished fourth in the conference. One expert gave Atlanta United barely a one percent chance to win the match.
For Valentino, who was named interim head coach of Atlanta United on June 3, there's a lot to be said about the way he not only managed this team down the stretch when they faced challenges but also the way he built the team's belief. That confidence led to big wins the team needed to make a postseason berth, including the win in Orlando and the previous win, a 2-1 win over a good Red Bulls team.
"I feel really proud," Valentino said after the match. "There’s a lot of emotion. I feel a lot of joy for the people, the players, the staff, the people at the club that have had a tough year. I don’t know if this vindicates it, it just shows you can do anything if you keep showing up. Just keep showing up, keep doing your work, staying resilient, stay persistent and things went our way. I believed in this group that we could get in even at the end with really difficult circumstances and when people write you off that feels even better."
Brad Guzan
Atlanta United's stalwart goalkeeper played a pivotal part in the team's Decision Day outcome. Against Orlando, Guzan made nine saves, which ties the club record he previously set in 2018 against New York City FC.
Not only did the 40-year-old make several key stops. He also had some tekkers (which he encouraged our social media team to promote).
This is the second time in a month that Guzan has been recognized for his performance. Following the 2-2 draw at New York Red Bulls on September 21, Guzan was also named to MLS Team of the Matchday. That match, he made eight saves, including a penalty kick save, his third of the season.
In the regular season, Guzan ranked seventh in MLS in total saves (113). He's also logged the 11th most minutes of goalkeepers in the MLS regular season.
"He's massive. He's Mr. Atlanta United," Williams said. "You should see the stuff he does behind closed doors. He's constantly talking, constantly encouraging, shouting, massive. I think he came out and caught a few that really took the pressure off. I'm happy for him."
Saba Lobjanidze
We can't forget the man who got it all started for Atlanta United Saturday night. Saba was one of two goal scorers for Atlanta United. His goal in the seventh minute opened the scoring in the match and brought his season total to nine, which leads the team.
Although he didn't get a mention in the starting XI (there were a lot of strong performances on Decision Day), the Georgian winger appears on the bench for the league's weekly honors.
