Miguel Almirón's storied career with Atlanta United added a new chapter Sunday night. The captain was cooking with gas, dishing up his 42nd and 43rd assists in his history with the 5-Stripes, breaking the club's all-time record.
His success was his team's as well, as Atlanta United held it down against Sporting Kansas City in a 2-1 victory. It was the 5-Stripes' third consecutive win and second in a row at home.
What happened
The 5-Stripes immediately put the pressure on the visitors in the form of possession. They set their defense up nearly at the halfway line, forcing Kansas City to defend deep, and they picked out over the top through balls any time the line tried to creep up the pitch.
Alexey Miranchuk fired off the shot of the day for Atlanta United, but it was blocked at the source.
Miguel Almirón got tricky in the 13th minute and immortalized himself further in Atlanta United's club history. The Paraguayan dropped his defender and whipped in a cross to the back post, where Tomás Jacob was waiting. His first time volley was rocketed into an open net, and Almirón became Atlanta United's all-time leader in assists with his 42nd.
Atlanta United's captain broke away in the 18th minute and fired off a shot that was saved. The 5-Stripes nearly got a second again in the 23rd minute off a set piece, as Elías Báez flicked a header on that deflected off a Kansas City defender and then off the bar.
A minute later, Atlanta did indeed get their second, as Báez flicked another header on from the ensuing corner. Fafa Picault scored in a second consecutive home match, a flicked finish into the bottom left corner of the goal for 2-0 in the 24th minute. Almirón picked up the secondary assist from the corner kick, extending his total to 43 for the club.
Almirón hit the post in the 28th minute on a shot from the right side of the box that appeared to be tapped away by Stefan Cleveland.
Kansas City took the initiative with possession around the 30-minute mark, and the 5-Stripes switched their style to match, committing to rapid counterattacks when winning the ball back. The match slowed down into the break, and statistically, it was all Atlanta. The 5-Stripes had 1.45 expected goals to Sporting's 0.13 after the first 45 minutes.
Neither team got a real hold on the first 10 minutes of the second half, though Kansas City was ramping up the energy to try and cut the deficit. The 5-Stripes began to cede more and more possession, but Sporting weren't able to create much of it.
At halftime, new designated player signing Breel Embolo was unveiled to the 17s in attendance.
That was, until the 70th minute, when an unlucky deflected clearance fell to Stephen Afrifa. He caught the ball with force, getting one back to make the score 2-1.
The goal proved to be a launch pad for Kansas City, who kept applying the pressure. Tata Martino went to Stian Gregersen off the bench to steady things in defense in the 73rd minute. An untimely injury to substitute Luke Brennan forced him off the pitch, and Martino chose to bring on Matt Edwards in another defensive move.
Sporting's best chances down the stretch came from crosses into the box, a familiar situation for Atlanta United to defend given their recent matches. They buckled up, and though Kansas City got some headed chances, they were unable to convert. The 5-Stripes, however shaken, didn't crumble, and they walked away 2-1 victors.
Standouts
- Miguel Almirón was a sensation on a night where he made history. His runs in behind found space more often than not, and his end product was superb, picking out the right passes to lead to Atlanta United's first two goals.
- Tristan Muyumba ran the midfield once again. He was a perfect 29-for-29 passing in the first half and finished 48-for-49 (97.9%) in overall.
Milestones
- Miguel Almirón became Atlanta United's all-time leading assister in the 13th minute when he serviced Tomás Jacob's opening goal. It was the captain's 42nd assist of his career as a 5-Stripe, surpassing Brooks Lennon for the record. He picked up his 43rd with a secondary assist from a corner kick in the 24th minute.
- Tomás Jacob became the first Atlanta United defender to score in consecutive regular season matches since Brooks Lennon in July 2023. Jacob is the fifth defender to accomplish that feat, joining Andrew Gutman, Juan Purata, Caleb Wiley and Lennon.
- Paulo Díaz made his first start as an Atlanta United player. The 33-year-old center back played for 73 minutes in a steady shift, making 8 interceptions on the night.
Next up
The 5-Stripes line up for the second consecutive match at home, and this one will be especially crucial. Atlanta United hosts Charlotte FC in a rivalry duel at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 29 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Grab your tickets to watch the 5-Stripes look to earn another result this season against The Crown.
