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Atlanta United: Analyzing best performances from 2018 season

By Josh Bouland

ATLANTA, GA NOVEMBER 11: Atlanta's Leandro González Pirez (5) reacts after Miguel Almiron's goal during the MLS Eastern Conference semifinal match between Atlanta United and NYCFC on November 11th, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Atlanta United FC defeated New York City FC by a score of 3 to 1 to advance in the playoffs. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA NOVEMBER 11: Atlanta's Leandro González Pirez (5) reacts after Miguel Almiron's goal during the MLS Eastern Conference semifinal match between Atlanta United and NYCFC on November 11th, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Atlanta United FC defeated New York City FC by a score of 3 to 1 to advance in the playoffs. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Atlanta United, New York Red Bulls, Miguel Almiron, Josef Martinez
ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 30: Atlanta United midfielder Miguel Almiron (10) and Atlanta United forward Josef Martinez (7) celebrate a goal during an MLS match between the Orlando City and Atlanta United FC on June 30, 2018, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

June 30 vs Orlando City

The Five Stripes outright dominated in the fifth installment of this “rivalry.” It only took three minutes for Atlanta to score and they never looked back. The 4-0 win over Orlando was another total team performance. It was yet another clean sheet from the defense and another strong showing from the team’s three Designated Players.

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How Atlanta won: Josef Martinez scored in the third minute of the game after Julian Gressel capitalized on a poor pass in the midfield from the Lions. He placed a perfect ball in the box for Martinez, who scored his 15th goal of the season. After halftime the rest of the team’s DPs took over, as Miguel Almiron scored a brace and Ezequiel Barco scored his fourth goal of the season.

Dominance all around: The defense put in some stellar work yet again, earning the team its fifth clean sheet of the season. Brad Guzan made another spectacular save to secure the Lions’ egg. The biggest representation of Atlanta’s dominance came from the names in the goals column of the score sheet. With goals from Martinez, Almiron, and Barco, that meant all three of Atlanta’s highest paid players contributed to the score. Any time all of a team’s DPs score, that’s a pretty good indication they dominated the opposing team.

Bigger picture: Atlanta continued their undefeated form against their league rivals. In fact, this win furthered the argument that the Orlando-Atlanta rivalry isn’t actually a rivalry at all. The Five Stripes’ strong win over Orlando also showed that the team was taking care of its business. Dismantle a team in free fall like you’re supposed to, and you’ll find your way to a trophy soon enough.

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