Despite the fact that Atlanta United threw away two leads of their 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati, striker Giorgos Giakoumakis got here away from the sport feeling assured forward of his group’s MLS Cup playoffs conflict with Columbus Crew.
Few strikers have had a greater first season in MLS than the Greece worldwide, as he is taken to life kindly with the 5 Stripes with 17 targets in 27 appearances (21 begins). Much more spectacular is the truth that accidents stored him from competing for the 20-goal threshold in addition to not taking any penalties for Atlanta.
The ex-Celtic participant confirmed his high quality once more vs Cincinnati, as his first half brace helped Atlanta take some extent away from dwelling within the closing matchday of the 2023 common season. Though groups do not ever wish to accept a draw normally, Giakouamkis was nonetheless happy with his group following the sport and has excessive hopes for what they’ll obtain going ahead.
“Up till the second of the pink card, I feel we destroyed them,” Giakoumakis mentioned after the sport. “We destroyed them up till that time. We created much more. We had management of the sport. There was just one group on the sphere.
“Coming into the sport, they have been the champions (Supporters’ Defend), they’re the place they’re as a result of they have been the perfect group this season, we’ve to just accept that. So, coming into this stadium, taking part in towards the primary place group and to place collectively this type of efficiency, we must be proud.
“We should always take optimistic issues from this recreation and apply them within the playoffs and compete at this identical stage.”
As his teammate Thiago Almada was proven a second yellow card within the second half of the sport, the MLS MVP candidate is ready to overlook recreation one in every of Atlanta’s best-of-three collection towards Columbus Crew, an enormous loss for the 5 Stripes.
“It should be powerful with out Thiago within the first recreation. We’ve a plan in our recreation and Thiago is a key participant in that plan. So, we’ve to regulate once more and determine it out and observe the instructions from the workers.”
“We’ll go into it like a closing. Any more, there are solely finals,” he mentioned. “I imagine in my group. I imagine we are able to make it to the subsequent spherical. However we are going to go step-by-step, recreation by recreation, and the primary recreation is at Columbus.”
Giakoumakis’ 17 targets within the common season sees him tied for second-most within the league with Lucho Acosta and second-most by himself on minutes performed with 1,791. LAFC’s Denis Bouanga took dwelling first place honors with 20 targets for the present MLS Cup title holders.
“For all of the difficulties I had this season, with it additionally being my first season within the group, with so many ups and downs this 12 months, I am proud,” the 28-year-old added. “I am proud that I reached the quantity of targets I did.
“Being that shut, with out even scoring one penalty, so on the finish of the day I am comfortable and proud. As I mentioned a few days in the past, I did not care in regards to the Golden Boot anymore. The one factor I care about now’s serving to my group win.
“If it is by making a slide deal with, in our field or anyplace, if that is how I might help the group I’ll do this. It does not should do with targets anymore. After all I wish to rating targets, but when I want to provide an help or give a go and any individual else will get the help and we win, I do not care.”
The 2018 MLS Cup champions return to motion on November 1 for his or her first recreation towards Columbus Crew within the playoffs at Decrease.com Subject.
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