Three Atlanta United players were on the world’s stage Tuesday, competing for a chance to represent their country at next summer’s FIFA World Cup. Josef Martinez, Miguel Almirón and Brad Guzan all took the field in World Cup Qualifying matches.
First up was Josef’s Venezuela, who may be out of contention but were looking to play spoiler against Lionel Messi and the mighty Argentina. Josef started last week against Colombia, but began this match on the bench with Venezuela’s coach opting for a more defensive setup to stop Argentina’s firepower. Josef was able to get on the field late in the game, wearing the captain’s armband for the final ten minutes in the 1-1 draw.
Next came goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who started in goal for the U.S. National team in a crucial match on the road against Honduras. In a trademark CONCACAF road battle, the hosts put up a strong fight and led for most of the game after taking the lead midway through the first half. But Brad was able to keep the USMNT in the game with five crucial saves, before Bobby Wood equalized in the final ten minutes to secure a valuable point for the red, white and blue. The match was Guzan’s sixth start in this round of World Cup Qualifiers, and his form has helped the U.S. pick up points in seven of their last nine matches in which he’s started.
GOOOAAAAL: It's a mess, but @BobbyS_Wood to the rescue for #USMNT! #USAvHONpic.twitter.com/FbtF4b6ToS
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) September 5, 2017
Finally, Miguel Almirón and Paraguay came into the day as a dark-horse candidate to qualify for the World Cup out of the brutal South American division. They were on a strong run of form and slip-ups from Chile and Argentina earlier in the day left an opening, but their task was made all the more difficult with the team needing a win against Luis Suárez and powerhouse Uruguay. Almirón felt right at home in front of a sell-out home crowd, dictating possession for the Albirroja as he does so well. Paraguay went toe-to-toe with Uruguay for much of the match, but their scoring was cancelled out by a deflected shot that crept in the corner and an own goal, a heartbreaking late loss that put a serious dent in their valiant qualification efforts.
The good news for Atlanta United fans is all three now come back to Atlanta having avoided injury, ready to join the squad for a heavy stretch of games in September and their return to MLS action against FC Dallas in their Mercedes-Benz Stadium debut. Tickets are sold out for that one, so make sure to reserve your spot in the following match – Wednesday, September 13th against the New England Revolution – by getting your tickets here.
