{# Overlay logo in the middle of the banner, no layout shift #} 
Miami FC scored in stoppage time to beat Atlanta United 3-2, ending the expansion side’s first U.S. Open Cup run in the Round of 16.
Miami FC Punishes Atlanta United in Open Cup Exit
Starting Lineup
Atlanta United got an early lesson in underestimating opponents. The club brought a heavily rotated squad of younger players to Miami and expected it to be enough against Miami FC in its second match of the U.S. Open Cup. Miami did not buy into the hype. Atlanta United’s first U.S. Open Cup run ended with a stoppage-time goal in Miami.
The expansion side went to Riccardo Silva Stadium on Wednesday night for its first cup match away from home. Tata Martino made seven changes from the team that started against Colorado, giving Atlanta a younger lineup against a lower-division opponent that had already shown it could punish an MLS team.
Miami had already knocked Orlando City out of the tournament and arrived as the NASL spring-season leader under Alessandro Nesta. Atlanta met a veteran team with MLS scalps already on its Open Cup run, and more than 9,000 people watched Miami add another one. Atlanta’s first Open Cup run ended there, one round after it started, with a 3-2 loss in stoppage time.
1st Half
Carleton started on the left, with Kratz playing centrally underneath Brandon Vázquez. Atlanta’s early chances came through both of them. Kratz and Carleton each put shots on target, forcing Daniel Vega into saves.
In the 35th minute, Kratz stood over a free kick and sent a beautiful ball into the box. Vázquez rose above Miami’s back line and headed the ball down, sending it bouncing inside the near post for a 1-0 Atlanta lead. It was Vázquez’s second goal of the tournament after his winner against Charleston. It was also Atlanta United’s first set-piece goal in club history. Miami had not trailed earlier in its Open Cup run.
In the 37th, Kwadwo Poku won possession in midfield and turned the play into a breakaway. The former NYCFC midfielder powered through the center of the field and carried the ball all the way to the edge of Atlanta’s box. He laid it off to Stéfano Pinho, and Pinho curled the equalizer past Alec Kann to make it 1-1.
Pinho had another chance later in the half. Kann stopped it to keep the match level.
Carleton had Atlanta’s next clear look. He stayed active on the left, got onto a ball near the edge of Miami’s box, and sent a volley just wide.
The half ended 1-1.
2nd Half
Miami opened the second half by moving the ball through Michael Lahoud and out to the wings. The shift helped Miami attack Atlanta’s flanks and earn a free kick on the left side.
Miami won a free kick on the left side in the 52nd minute. Hunter Freeman sent a curler into the crowded box in front of Kann, and Rhett Bernstein got there first. His header from close range gave Miami its first lead of the night.
As the second half wore on, the South Florida heat and humidity started to show. Atlanta’s press became harder to sustain, and Miami began finding more space.
Lagos Kunga made his Atlanta United debut in the second half, joining Andrew Carleton and Brandon Vázquez in an Atlanta attack made up entirely of players 18 or younger. This was the clearest look yet at the young group Atlanta was trying to bring through the academy.
In the 75th minute, Carleton ran at Kwadwo Poku inside the box and forced an error. Poku brought him down for a penalty. Julian Gressel stepped to the spot and converted, leveling the game 2-2.
The game was still tied in stoppage time and drifting toward extra time when Atlanta gave it away.
Harrison Heath lost the ball in the 93rd minute, and Kwadwo Poku took off on a breakaway for Miami. He got in alone against Alec Kann and put his finish into the net for a 3-2 lead.
There was no time left for Atlanta to answer. Miami advanced to the quarterfinals with a 3-2 win, while Atlanta’s first U.S. Open Cup run ended in the second round.
Closing Thoughts
Atlanta’s Open Cup run ended in Miami, but the rotated lineup did give Martino something to think about. Vázquez scored for the second time in two Open Cup matches, turning another start into another goal. Carleton was Atlanta’s most active young attacker. He tested Daniel Vega early, kept finding the ball on the left, and won the penalty that gave Atlanta its second-half equalizer. Gressel converted it. Kunga made his club debut.
Miami FC captain Michael Lahoud pushed back on the idea that Atlanta took the match lightly. I don’t think Atlanta took us lightly. They are fighting for their playoff lives and they are managing their schedule. They rested some players, but they played their game. With the high pressure they play, if you come down to Miami, good luck in this heat and humidity. They just couldn’t sustain it. Michael Lahoud, Miami FC Captain and Midfielder - Post-Game Press Conference
The win sent Miami into a quarterfinal against FC Cincinnati, another lower-division club that had knocked out MLS opposition that night. With Miami from the NASL and Cincinnati from the USL, the matchup guaranteed a lower-division semifinalist in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup. We didn’t play our best football; the possession was sloppy and we made mistakes. But we fought through it, and we beat a team managed by Tata Martino. Managing him is an honor. Beating him is … wow. Alessandro Nesta, Miami FC head coach - Post-Game Press Conference
Atlanta did not have the luxury of treating the Open Cup as anything less than a real chance at a trophy. Expansion teams do not get many of those, and cup competitions punish teams that leave the door open.
The lesson was simple. Do not underestimate the opponent. When a trophy is available, take the opportunity seriously.