Atlanta United interim head coach Rob Valentino couldn't help but praise eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi ahead of his team's MLS Cup Playoffs Round One series against Inter Miami.
Atlanta came out on top against CF Montréal in the Eastern Conference Wild Card match, but it wasn't without a little late drama.
The Five Stripes nearly threw away a two-goal lead in the second half as former striker Josef Martínez bagged a late brace to send the game to penalty kicks. Atlanta recovered during the shootout as longtime goalkeeper Brad Guzan came up with a clutch save as Saba Lobjanidze fired home the winning penalty.
After the match, Valentino—who took over from previous head coach Gonzalo Pineda back in June—was asked how he plans to tackled the near insurmountable task of stopping a player of Messi's caliber.
"He's arguably the best player that’s ever played, Valentino said to the media. "Every time a team plays them, that's the question that is asked, right? That's the golden question. But I think that's been his whole career."
Not many teams have been able to spot the 37-year-old superstar in 2024. Even though he played in just 19 regular season matches, Messi managed an incredible 20 goals and 16 assists—the most goal contributions among MLS players—to lift Miami to Supporters' Shield glory and the greatest regular season in league history.
Valentino acknowledged that while Messi and his former Barcelona pals in Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba all have undeniable quality, Atlanta still took four points off the Herons in the two regular season meetings.
Back in May, Pineda was still in charge in the team's 3–1 victory at Chase Stadium in an Atlanta side that still had stars like Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis. However, the team still held Miami to a 2–2 draw in September at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with Messi and Co. entering the game late on in the second half with Valentino on the touchline.
Going back into the 2023 season, the Five Stripes toppled Miami 5–2 at home as Messi and Alba didn't travel for the match in Atlanta. Miami's last win against Atlanta came in July 2023 in Leagues Cup action when Messi shined with a brace and an assist in a 4–0 home win.
"We've faced him a few times and we know obviously his qualities, but also, at the same time, they’ve got other players that are good too. There has to be a focus on him and also the his teammates around him, and we know what the games are like with them," he said.
Suárez made his own case for the MLS MVP award, notching 20 goals up front for the Herons while Alba chipped in with 14 assists. Miami has quality and depth all over the pitch and Valentino knows his team must be dialed in when Messi is both on and off the ball—he was credited with 26 goal-creation actions, third-most in MLS.
Atlanta faces a difficult task in taking down Miami in the Best of Three series as it looks to extend its unbeaten run against the Herons and shock the world in MLS Cup Playoffs.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Atlanta United Coach Praises Messi: "He's Probably the Best Player That's Ever Played".
