Atlanta United breaks through, but one game doesn’t mean it’s a turnaround

Moving to this season: A few matches ago manager Ronny Deila put the team in a five-man backline with a focus on counterattacking. It played its best match since March in a 4-2 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Orlando comes to the stadium Wednesday, and Atlanta United can’t suffer a repeat of last year’s face-plant if it hopes to build any momentum toward making the playoffs.

The team moved from 14th to 12th in the Eastern Conference but still trails the ninth-place New York Red Bulls by seven points. After Orlando, Atlanta United will play six consecutive matches on the road, where it has yet to win.

“I think all the games are key,” Atlanta United forward Miguel Almiron said. “Last time I was talking to the team, we said that we now have every game as a final for us. We have to think like it’s the last game, take it as a final. First think about the game against Orlando and then the games that are coming.”

There were a few reasons for Atlanta United’s improved play against Cincinnati. The most important — Deila describing his team as “soft” after last week’s loss to Philadelphia — wasn’t among them.

Captain Brad Guzan said Deila didn’t need to say it because all the players knew it. What else could they think after failing to win in their previous eight matches?

“We still need to be better,” Guzan said. “I spoke before the game about taking chances, (and) we can finally get these goals. That was huge for us. We’ll take a lot of confidence from that, and just real determination and running in the box, and when we do that, you give yourself half a chance.”

Atlanta United finished with 12 shots, six on goal, for a season-high 4.3 expected goals. In the previous eight matches, Atlanta United hadn’t scored more than one goal and was shut out four times.

Those chances were created partially because Atlanta United’s players are adjusting to the new formation and tactics. These weren’t consistently worked in the preseason, when Deila wanted the team to play in a back four — with Alexey Miranchuk as the attacking midfielder, Almiron on the right, Saba Lobjanidze on the left and Emmanuel Latte Lath as the striker. They were supposed to play a four-man backline, playing high up the field.

Injuries to every player across the backline, combined with the team leaking goals and Almiron drifting inside, forced Deila to switch to the back five four matches ago for Chicago. Atlanta United also implemented more of a counterattacking style that takes advantage of the speed of Latte Lath and Lobjanidze and the passing ability of Miranchuk and Almiron.

Because the team was playing games every three to four days, it hadn’t had time to work the formation and tactics until last week.

“I‘m liking the formation,” centerback Derrick Williams said. “It suits a lot of the players that we have. It takes a long time to get the chemistry going, knowing every everyone’s position.”

Deila agreed, saying he thinks the formation and tactics put the players in the best positions. The results are proof.

Miranchuk notched his first two assists. Williams and Bartosz Slisz scored their first two goals, both from set pieces.

Williams’ goal in the 15th minute was the first time in the past five matches that Atlanta United scored first. Guzan called it a bit of a sucker punch for Cincinnati, considering the visitors were dominating possession.

Matthew Edwards got his first assist on Jamal Thiare’s goal. Lobjanidze got his fifth assist and probably should have been credited with another on Slisz’s goal.

Lastly, Latte Lath was a menace. Twice he was played in behind Cincinnati’s defense. He didn’t score, but he looked more dangerous than at any point in the past eight matches.

“You have to understand why we are getting chances first,” Deila said. “This is all about skills, relations, understanding and playing your position. It is not a coincidence. We talked about playing the ball in behind and how to play it longer so Manu (Latte Lath) has something to run after instead of how we have mostly been playing it to his feet and then we end up getting counterattacked.

“Now, we put the ball into space, and you can see the kind of speed that he has, and Jamal is the same way.”

While the attack found a groove, the defense allowed a season-high 27 shots. Seventeen were taken outside the 18-yard box, resulting in just 2.2 expected goals.

Williams said improvement will come from the team consistently pressuring the opponent when it has the ball, which will allow the backline to move higher up the field. The team let up to start the second half — continuing a seasonlong issue, Deila noted after the win — and Cincinnati peppered Atlanta United until it got its first goal from a set piece when former Atlanta United centerback Miles Robinson headed home a corner kick three minutes into the restart.

Allowing 27 shots isn’t sustainable for longer-term success, the players acknowledged. But the building blocks are there … if Atlanta United can develop consistency.

The next step comes Wednesday against Orlando.

“We hadn’t won in eight games,” Guzan said. “That’s not the standard that we’ve set. That’s not the standard that we’re accepting. I think the biggest part was taking our chances, especially early on. But again, how do we get better in those aspects? How do we get better collectively?”

For more content about Atlanta United

Stay up to date every day on breaking news, in-depth investigations, politics, sports, entertainment, food and dining and so much more by becoming a subscriber to the AJC. Go to AJC.com/start for a special offer and unlock hundreds of original articles published daily on the refreshed AJC.com and the new AJC mobile app. Plus, access our news alerts, subscriber-only events, AJC original shows, films and videos, newsletters and so much more.

Atlanta United’s 2025 schedule