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Match recap: Magical Alexey Miranchuk strike, defensive discipline lifts 5-Stripes over Portland Timbers

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1 month ago

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Alexey Miranchuk picked the right moment to put an end to a goalless streak.

Atlanta United’s designated player scored for the first time since April, and it couldn’t have come at a mora crucial moment. His first half goal, and a second half full of committed, coordinated defending lifted Atlanta United over Portland Timbers. The 1-0 result was the 5-Stripes’ second consecutive clean sheet and a lifeline result in their playoff push.

What happened

The earliest occurrence in the match was an injury to Paulo Díaz he suffered coming down from a contested header. He reentered the pitch a few minutes later.

Breel Embolo took a chance that unfolded quickly and nearly put Atlanta United ahead in the 4th minute. Alexey Miranchuk found him with a through ball that gave the forward an angle at goal, but his shot was saved by Portland’s James Pantemis.

Lucas Hoyos was called into action to save a Kristoffer Velde header in the 10th minute. The Timbers forward was really close to goal but hit the ball straight into the ground. Nonetheless, Hoyos made a reactionary stop.

Díaz connected with Embolo in the 16th minute to combine for another chance. Embolo tried to take the over-the-top through ball down smoothly, but his touch ended up being a pseudo-shot that Pantemis denied.

Portland went up the other end two minutes later and Ariel Lassiter got a good look from a first-time volley. His shot hit side netting.

The Timbers were rapid on the counter, getting a similar chance from a back-post cross in the 21st minute. Cole Bassett was the one on the end this time, and his shot soared over the bar.

Miranchuk had a signature moment on his left foot in the 28th minute. Miguel Almirón whipped a ball across the box that found the forward at the edge of the area. He feinted and cut onto his strong foot, hitting a dipping strike into the side netting. Atlanta United had a 1-0 advantage in a notoriously energetic road environment.

[Embedded post from @ATLUTD on X, September 20, 2026: “Alexey curls it in 🔥”]

Tomás Jacob had to be taken off the pitch in the 32nd minute, and head coach Tata Martino replaced him with Matt Edwards.

Aside from an Almirón longshot that flew too high, things fizzled out into choppy play to end the first half. Atlanta United maintained their advantage but were far from securing a result.

After a relatively tame first 10 minutes of the second half, things started to pick up in on both attacking ends. Portland had a great look through on goal in the 59th minute, but Vincent Janssen’s slow roller dribbled wide.

Up the other end a minute later, Embolo had a free header with just the keeper to beat. Miranchuk found Báez, who squared a header to the forward. His attempt wasn’t hit hard enough, and it bounced wide.

Atlanta United countered in the 67th minute, and from a Miranchuk switch, Almirón curled a low, driven shot that just ran wide of the right post. The play was ruled a goal kick, but Pantemis might’ve gotten a tip on the ball to parry it wide.

Cooper Sanchez, who came on for the debutant Giuliano Galoppo, had a ball fall to him inside the box in the 72nd minute. He took a shot that was blocked wide by Diego Chará.

The 5-Stripes held their own, even with more Portland pressure. When they got on the ball, Atlanta United were patient and insistent that good possession would do more than rushed attacks.

Enea Mihaj and Jay Fortune came on for Tristan Muyumba and Díaz in the 82nd minute, fresh faces in the middle of the Atlanta United formation to see out the result.

Portland forced a chaotic sequence after a corner kick in the 84th minute, where multiple Timbers attackers attempted shots. The final one was a header from Finn Surman that looped over the bar to end the threat.

The Timbers were eager to equalize as the minutes ticked away in the match, holding the majority of possession in the last 10 minutes and additional time. Atlanta United’s defending was disciplined and a complete team effort. Almirón and other attackers tracked back, Mihaj and Júnior Alonso fended away crosses, Hoyos made saves, and the 5-Stripes withstood the final minutes. The 1-0 win put them up to 26 points and was their second consecutive clean sheet.

Standouts

  • Júnior Alonso led another clean sheet effort, also commanding the 5-Stripes in possession with a team-high 63 touches. The Paraguayan had five clearances, second most on the evening for the visitors.
  • Giuliano Galoppo came in flying on his club debut. In 65 minutes, he had a shot, a chance created, 8 passes in the final third, won 4 duels and won 2 tackles.

Milestones

  • Giuliano Galoppo made his first appearance and start for Atlanta United. The midfielder played 65 minutes in an all-around effort.
  • Alexey Miranchuk scored his team-high 6th goal of the MLS regular season.
  • Atlanta United kept consecutive clean sheets in away matches for the first time since November 2021.

Up next

Atlanta United will return home for a match against New York City FC Saturday, Sept. 26. The 7:30 p.m. ET kick off will be the first match between the two Eastern Conference opponents this season.

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Match recap: Unforced errors cost Atlanta United in loss to Chicago Fire

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3 days ago

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October 24, 2026

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Against the top teams in the conference, a mistake-free match isn’t a nice-to-have but an imperative for success. The 5-Stripes created and converted on the attacking end twice, but a pair of defensive miscues in the second half were costly enough to decide the match. Atlanta United fell 3-2 to Chicago Fire in their penultimate home match of the 2026 season.

What happened

The 5-Stripes jumped out the gate with purpose, pushing forward on the right side with Tomás Jacob overlapping attackers. He was to thank for the earliest goal of Atlanta United’s season, finding room on the right side of the box from a keen through ball from Miguel Almirón. The Paraguayan had picked the ball up from midfield and dribbled all the way to the edge of the box before dishing it across to Jacob, who finished with power past Chris Brady in the 4th minute.

Chicago tried their hand at possession to settle into the match, but Atlanta United were chaotic in defense and eager to win the ball back. That early energy dissipated as the visitors kept pressing, and the Fire jumped out to

Philip Zinckernagel hit the crossbar on a rogue attempt from the left side of the box in the 25th minute that Lucas Hoyos may have gotten a touch on. Chicago did eventually find an equalizer in the 30th minute. The ball fell outside the box after a corner kick, and a crisp strike on the half volley from Anton Salétros snuck through defenders and past Hoyos.

Paulo Díaz had to make a sliding stop to prevent a possible second for Chicago in the 32nd minute, putting his body on the line to block a shot inside the box.

Breel Embolo had a great look saved by Brady in the 35th minute, as Mauricio Amaro did some lovely work to get the ball into a dangerous area. His cross was driven low, and the Swiss forward struck the ball cleanly but right at the Chicago keeper. The U.S. international picked up an injury making the save, though he carried on.

The 5-Stripes finished out the half with vigor, and Embolo scored a goal in what would eventually be ruled an offside run by Jacob before playing the cross to his forward. Things were starting to heat up just as the referee blew the whistle for halftime.

Chicago missed an open net on the first real chance of the second half, as Maren Haile-Selassie skied a chance with no one in goal. A minute later, the 5-Stripes gifted them a second goal. Substitute Anzor Mekvabishvili turned in a simple finish after winning a tackle and intercepting a routine pass at the back from Hoyos, leaving the 5-Stripes with a frustrating 2-1 deficit.

Atlanta United surrendered an indirect free kick in the 57th minute when Hoyos picked up a back pass from Elías Báez. It left Chicago with a rare free kick inside of the 6-yard box, which after a flurry of whistle restarts for players jumping too early, they dispatched for 3-1. Zinckernagel was the man to roof the ball into the net.

The 5-Stripes got one back 10 minutes later in the 67th when Breel Embolo thumped a header past Brady. Báez put in a whipped cross to the forward, whose header was pure to bring Atlanta United back into the match.

Atlanta’s striker broke away in the 70th minute and missed a golden opportunity to level the scoring. Embolo ran onto a deep clearance and got one-on-one with the keeper. but couldn’t wrap his foot around the ball. He missed the frame of the goal wide right.

So it was the hosts pressing for an equalizer down the stretch, playing a daring high line and going for points they desperately needed. They got five minutes of stoppage time to pull it off, but Chicago’s low-block defending was enough to finish off the match, and the 5-Stripes lost 3-2.

Standouts

  • Miguel Almirón continued his bright post-World-Cup form with another goal contribution, an assist where he brought the ball from midfield and ushered it to Tomás Jacob for the first goal. It was Almirón’s 15th MLS match with multiple chances created since the break, tying him with Carles Gil for most such by any MLS player in that time.

Milestones

  • Miguel Almirón became Atlanta United’s outright leader in assists on the season with 8.
  • Mauricio Amaro picked up his first two assists with the 5-Stripes with a secondary assist on both of the goals.

Up next

Atlanta United hits the road for a midweek match against New York City FC. They’ll need to pick up points to stay alive in the playoff race. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, October 28 at Citi Field in Queens.

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