Atlanta United 2 Downs Inter Miami II 4-1 to Close Out Athens Homestand
- Aaron Blank
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
In the final game of their Athens residency for the 2026 season, Atlanta United 2 looked to build on a sluggish 1-0 win over Toronto FC on Independence Day. Coming to Turner Soccer Complex was Inter Miami CF II, who had only earned one win so far in their campaign. The 2s would be reinforced by some regulars who have spent time with the first team and were returning to pick up some valuable minutes prior to the big club's return to action on July 17th against Nashville SC. Even though help was at hand, it was the usual suspects all over the scoresheet as Atlanta dominated to the tune of a 4-1 win.
It was immediately apparent in the first five minutes that this match would be far more open than the previous one, as Miami was more willing to get numbers forward in possession. Even so, their final third entries were only occasional, and none posed much danger for Atlanta United 2's backline. During this period, Atlanta seemed very intentional with their pressure on Miami goalkeeper Matias Marin. Arif Kovac was the general in this regard, chasing down Marin each time he was sitting in possession and occasionally forcing poor distribution. This would prove to be foreshadowing for later on.
The tide started to shift at the 15-minute mark or so, signaled by a nice chance for Cameron Dunbar off a scuffed Miami clearance. Atlanta United 2 maintained an extended period of possession in the Miami half, leading to a few crosses and some nice passes to the byline, with the most notable chance being a whiffed bicycle kick attempt by Luke Brennan. Atlanta finally broke through in the 20th minute, when Daniel Chica scored for the second straight game. This was the result of a lovely bit of play down the left side of the box, with Mohamed Cisset sending a nice through ball to Dunbar. Dunbar squared it centrally to Kovac, who, with defenders closing in, flicked the ball backward with his heel into the path of Chica. Standing alone on the right side of goal, Chica fired a first-time strike past the keeper for the slam dunk.
As the first half went on and the teams settled in, Atlanta became more and more comfortable and confident, gaining more possession and generating more chances. Miami looked disorganized at the back, and the 2s sensed the blood in the water. Miami was able to make it to halftime with the score right where it was.
The second half followed a similar script to the first, except this time goals began to come for Atlanta United 2. Miami had some possession to start but offered no danger. The game broke open in the 51st minute, when Ignacio Suarez-Couri found the back of the net after being set up by Enzo Dovlo, who had just come on at the half. The issue was compounded for Miami just two minutes later, as a cutback from Andrew Jardines deflected off Tyler Hall and into his own net to make it 3-0. Atlanta was sitting pretty.
Despite the lead, the 2s kept the pedal to the metal and continued to pressure Miami, who were beginning to fall apart in defense. They had not been very good all game, but space was opening up more and more by the minute, and Atlanta was making sure to attack every yard. They cashed in again in the 62nd minute off a defensive error. The ball was played long from deep by Suarez-Couri toward Dovlo down the right wing. A failed clearance by Miami center back Nicholas Almeida left Dovlo alone in the box, and Marin came rushing out to close him down. But the chance took the goalkeeper out of position, and Dovlo squared the ball across to Kovac for a simple finish and Atlanta's fourth. The goal lifted Kovac to 15 goal contributions on the season, while Dovlo's two assists on the night were the first of his professional career.
At this point, the game opened up a bit as Miami committed players forward in search of a goal. They brought on their leading scorer Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida in hopes that he would create a spark. This increased aggression created even more space for Atlanta to attack, and Miami continued to crumble in their defensive third. The 2s were generating chances at will, and it was far too easy for them to pass the ball in and around the Miami penalty area. This was reflected in the match stats, as Atlanta ended the night with 23 shots and 9 on target. They also had 11 corners, as Miami spent a lot of time defending. Miami did get a consolation in the 86th minute when Zeltzer-Zubida set up Alejandro Flores for his first goal of the season, becoming only the fourth different goal scorer for Inter Miami CF II this year. For reference, Atlanta has had 13 different players find the net in 2026. This ruined the clean sheet bid for Jayden Hibbert, who was playing well but had not had much to do.
The game ended with Marin going on another adventure outside the penalty area and losing possession, leading to one last chance that was turned away off the goal line by a scrambling Miami back line. This summed up the night for the team in pink, whose shaky defense and high event goalkeeping led to its deserved defeat.
With Kovac tied to three of Atlanta's four goals on the night, Atlanta United 2 head coach Jose Silva said his in-form forward is playing with a level of consistency the whole staff has noticed. "Arif is in a flow state right now," Silva said. "Everything he does goes in the net. We're really happy for him, because of the way he works and carries himself. He's a role model for the other players. Every time he steps on the field, he's giving everything he has."
With the win, Atlanta United 2 (9-5-3, 30 points) ends the homestand without a defeat in regulation, winning two out of three games and losing the other in penalties. They head to Huntsville, Alabama, next Saturday, July 18, to face Huntsville City FC at Wicks Family Field. Huntsville currently sits 13th in the East but could move up as high as 11th with a win this match week against Philadelphia Union II. Atlanta ends the night in 6th, only four points off the conference-leading Columbus Crew 2.