U.S. Open Cup Final preview: Minnesota United vs. Atlanta United

Both Minnesota United and Atlanta United are looking to win their first U.S. Open Cup. The matchup is sure to be a hard-fought one on both ends of the pitch.

Tuesday we will see Minnesota United v Atlanta United in U.S Open Cup Final. The match will feature two of the most recent additions to the Major League Soccer, competing for their first U.S Open Championship and secure their place in the Concacaf Champions League.

Great offense meets a great defense is one of the most cliche matchups in sports. However, when Atlanta United and Minnesota United take the field on Tuesday, that is the type of match up we can expect.

Atlanta United is coming off a championship run last season. On the other hand, Minnesota has struggled to get its wings off the ground in their first two seasons. Atlanta United is playing to win its third trophy in a year while the Loons are hoping to solidify themselves as a strong MLS team.

The Loons

Minnesota United is lead by a defense that has greatly improved from last season. The Loons backline features former Defender of the Year Ike Opara and Ozzie Alonso who is expected to be ready for the game. The backline is rounded out by Michael Boxall, Chase Gasper who have both been in solid form all season. The whole backline has come together to become a true force on the defensive end.

In the keepers box, Vito Mannone has been a brick wall with 9 shutouts on the season. in the last few games, he has played like he has 8 arms and needs to be on his A+ game to stop the machine that is the Atlanta United attack.

Darwin Quintero leads Minnesota United with nine goals and Ethan Finlay is in second with 6 during the regular season. During the Open Cup tournament, they have taken it to another level. Quintero leads the open cup with six goals and they have scored 15 total as a team. The Loons attack effortlessly creates chances for one another, but have struggled in turning those chances into goals.

The Five Stripes

Atlanta United is coming off six straight victories. The squad as a whole has not lost a step since winning the championship last season. Playing on their home turf is sure to add extra fuel to the fire.

Atlanta United is lead by Josef Martinez who has scored in a record 12 MLS regular season matchups and has 22 goals on the season. Around him are playmakers like Julian Gressel and
Pity Martínez that can seemingly always get him and other teammates in the right position to score. Atlanta United’s offense runs like a well-oiled machine.

The thing with The Five Stripes is that they are not a one-dimensional team. Their defense has conceded only three goals in MLS regular season during August.  Players like Leandro González Pirez, Miles Robinson and Jeff Larentowicz have suffocated teams and it seems sometimes you have a better chance of winning the lottery than scoring on Brad Guzan.

Matchup

This matchup will be a hard-fought game for both sides. Each team has something to prove and will be hungry to come out on top.

For Minnesota United to win, they need their backfield to step up and not allow Atlanta to get off easy shots. Offensively, The Loons need to keep up and take advantage of their opportunities. The story of the last few Loons match ups is missed opportunities. That will not work against Atlanta United.

For Atlanta United, if their offense continues to fire on all cylinders, eventually they will get one past Vito. Their wings need to create space and put the ball in position for Martinez and others to get it in the back of the net.  Defensively, they have to limit the number of chances the Loons get in the middle of the field.

The U.S. Open Cup will be played on Atlanta United’s home pitch Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Kick-off is at 8 p.m. E.T. on Tuesday. You can watch the game on ESPN+.

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