Welcome back our two-part weekly MLS column here at Backheeled where we break down all 29 teams in the league.
As Ben takes the week off, I’m on substitute duty, and I promise to pronounce everyone’s names correctly unlike seemingly every substitute teacher ever. I’ve got the East. Joe Lowery's got the West. Jamal Thiare is still lurking behind Luka Gavran. Let’s get to it.
To read up on the West, check out Joe’s rundown.
Joseph Lowery
Atlanta United
Result: 2-1 win vs. Toronto FC
Atlanta United are slowly finding their game under interim manager Rob Valentino, grabbing eight points from their last four matches despite some shaky moments. Saturday’s victory over Toronto was Atlanta’s first win at the Benz since their 3-0 win over the Chicago Fire on March 31st.
Sometimes you have to make your own luck, and despite losing grasp of another lead at home, Jamal Thiare’s craftiness guaranteed a much needed win in the dying moments of the match. It was a spectacular moment. As an aside, MLS is exceeding its xVM (expected viral moments) recently. Last week, we had the ref down in St. Louis. This week? Thiare delivered and then some.
I mean, come on. This is golden stuff:
You see a goal like this maybe once every 5 years.
— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) June 30, 2024
A goal like this to win the game 7 minutes into stoppage? Never seen anything like it. Not even in MLS. pic.twitter.com/HjNVb3leZC
It was a win guaranteed by standout performances. Thiago Almada has three goals from his last four starts and it appears he’s now played his last game for the Five Stripes, while Caleb Wiley had another stellar night on both sides of the ball.
Atlanta are finding themselves, but the summer transfer window will pull the rug out from under them. With Almada heading out the door and suitors lined up for Wiley this summer, the hope is that the front office finds the right pieces to buy an even prettier rug so the club is stronger when it comes time for the playoff push. They’ll have a warchest coming their way thanks to a set of sizable fees.
Can Atlanta United continue to get results in the interim as the powers that be rebuild on the fly? It sure helps when they win six-pointers like this one against Toronto.
