Seattle visit a reminder of what Atlanta United is trying to become
Credit: AP
It will be odd Saturday when Seattle, which Garth Lagerwey and Chris Henderson helped craft into MLS’ model franchise, walks into Mercedes-Benz Stadium to play Atlanta United.
Lagerwey and Henderson, now with Atlanta United, are trying, and so far failing, to turn the Five Stripes into what they were able to accomplish with Seattle: two MLS titles and two runners-up, a Champions League crown and several U.S. Open Cups.
Atlanta United has been to the playoffs twice since Lagerwey was hired in November 2022. It lost in the first round against Columbus in 2023. It made it last season as the final seed. It defeated Montreal and shocked Miami before losing to Orlando. Henderson joined this season as sporting director after spending the previous four seasons in Miami.
Henderson and Lagerwey immediately spent more than $30 million acquiring striker Emmanuel Latte Lath and winger Miguel Almirón. Neither has met expectations, with a combined 10 goals and six assists.
Despite Lagerwey’s and Henderson’s history of success, their magic hasn’t worked yet at Atlanta United. The Five Stripes, with 20 points, are 13 points below the playoff line with 11 matches remaining. Seattle remains one of the better clubs in MLS. With 37 points, it is in fourth place in the West.
“I’ve been part of teams as a player, been part of teams as front office, where we had either poor stretches or poor years, and the next year we were fantastic,” Henderson said Thursday. “So the goal is to get to where we want to be, and where we all expect to be, and our fans expect us to be. So we’re going to take the steps. We’re going to be aggressive in improving where we’re at, and we have to be aggressive.”
Lagerwey, who has taken a leave of absence because of a cancer diagnosis, made it clear in May that he and Henderson know what works in MLS and are going to stick to their principles and plan.
“We have to make good, long-term decisions for the franchise because that’s how we are going to right the ship, not by making knee-jerk reactions,” Lagerwey said in May.
Part of what worked in Seattle was building a team that was strong up the middle with consistent starters, Lagerwey said. Finding those centerbacks and midfielders is part of Atlanta United’s focus in the current transfer window.
Manager Ronny Deila, an important piece in Lagerwey’s and Henderson’s plan, said they must also stick to their values, even if the season is slipping away.
“The day you lose yourself, then you have to do something different,” Deila said. “I have to be real. We have to be real. You have to know who we are and what we want to do. Has to be a clear red line that we have to follow. And then we have to walk that line, everybody.”
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