Atlanta United hope to secure legacy in MLS Cup final

Atlanta’s influence on MLS’s recent development as a league can’t be overstated. They will play for validation in Saturday’s MLS Cup final.

Atlanta United will play their final game with Tata Martino as manager in Saturday’s MLS Cup final. Beating a hard-nosed Portland Timbers team may not be necessary to confirm their status as MLS trend-setters and record-breakers under Martino. But a trophy — which they very conspicuously lack — would no doubt help.

An MLS Cup win would be the ideal send-off for Tata, who likely will take over the Mexican national team, and some of their core pieces — Miguel Almiron appears to be on the verge of a move to the Premier League’s Newcastle, and recently-confirmed MVP Josef Martinez could be a candidate for a sale as well. This could mark the end of a short and sweet inaugural era.

Plenty of indications point to Atlanta’s status as a top-tier organization continuing. The front office is smart, competent and aggressive, and they’ve proven they can grow players internally. Younger players, most notably Andrew Carleton and Miles Robinson, will emerge. The rumored acquisition of River Plate star Pity Martinez would be a heck of a coup.

But failing to win a major championship, in particular an MLS Cup, with arguably the greatest player-manager triumvirate in league history would hurt. There is no guarantee that Ezequiel Barco, Pity Martinez, Hector Villalba and another possible attacking acquisition could adequately replace the production of Almiron and Josef Martinez, if one or both depart.

Near misses in the postseason last year and in this year’s Supporters’ Shield linger. In 2017, a four-game winless skid to end the season dropped them out of the conference’s top two, ruining their chances of a knockout round bye. An Oct. 3 loss at home to a horrid Minnesota United side was especially painful — Atlanta gave up two goals in stoppage time to lose 3-2. They finished two points out of a bye.

Atlanta would eventually lose to Columbus in the knockout round on penalties. It was an instant classic, finishing a thrilling 0-0, though Zack Steffen’s penalty-saving heroics proved decisive. This year, they blew a season-long lead in the Supporters’ Shield race to the New York Red Bulls. A 2-0 loss to NYRB on Sept. 30 will stick as a missed opportunity.

They avenged the Shield failure in the Eastern Conference finals, cleanly beating the Red Bulls en route to the final. Portland shouldn’t be an exceptionally difficult matchup — the Timbers are, on paper, the inferior team, and Atlanta’s homefield advantage can’t be overstated. Anything can happen in a final, though.

ATL’s influence on MLS won’t disappear with a loss on Saturday, nor will it necessarily delegitimize them. Their fan support is hard to replicate, but they’ve proven that a young, exciting team draws fans. They never went after an aging European type and lapped those that did. More teams will look at Atlanta and decide to focus their scouting efforts on finding the next Almiron.

Older players in the David Villa mold could prove highly successful — just as Villa has. But those players oftentimes earn more money than a hypothetical younger South American (or American!) player, and while Villa lasted four astounding seasons, he won’t earn his team much in departing. Almiron will fetch a healthy transfer fee.

Martino’s playing style, though it has evolved over time, has maintained its fast-paced, exciting elements. His style forces opposing teams to stay on their toes.

Not every coach is Tata Martino, but MLS clubs have seen his successes and upped their aggressiveness in coaching hires: The San Jose Earthquakes, of all clubs, hired former River Plate and Chivas manager Matias Almeyda.

In the short-term, Atlanta want a trophy pretty badly. In the long-term, they also want a trophy pretty badly — you don’t come across teams this talented all that often. Taking full advantage can only be accomplished through a win over the Timbers on Saturday.