Thiago Almada may or may not be coming to Atlanta United in February to play for the MLS team next season.
If his legal situation in Argentina gets resolved in his favor, and if Atlanta United exercises the option it says it has to permanently transfer the player, how might manager Gonzalo Pineda incorporate him into a lineup already stacked with attacking talent that includes Josef Martinez, Luiz Araujo, Marcelino Moreno and, for now, Ezequiel Barco?
Almada, 20, plays primarily as an attacking midfielder for Velez Sarsfield. He has appeared 55 times playing that position, followed by 14 times as a left winger, 12 times as a right winger, four times as a center forward and one time as a right midfielder.
It would seem likely that Pineda would use Almada, who at a reported $16 million would be the largest transfer into MLS in its history, as an attacking midfielder. The player has scored 12 of his 22 goals and eight of his 11 assists from there.
That’s where things get slightly complicated.
The team already has three players who have been used as attacking midfielders: Barco, Moreno and Emerson Hyndman, who missed most of last season because of a knee injury.
Let’s assume that Barco is sold during the January transfer window, eliminating him from this debate.
That leaves Moreno and Hyndman.
Moreno has a total of 61 professional appearances as an attacking midfielder or central midfielder as a player for Atlanta United and Lanus. From those two positions, he has 14 of his 17 goals and 13 of his 20 assists. To sum, he is far more effective in the middle of the pitch than on the wings.
Hyndman has a total of 107 professional appearances as an attacking midfielder or central midfielder. Twelve of his 14 goals and seven assists are from those spots.
That’s three possible players for two positions.
And there’s this: Pineda has shown a tendency to play with three centerbacks and two defensive midfielders, known as a double pivot, which eliminates a central midfielder.
That leaves three possible players for one position, again assuming that neither Moreno nor Almada would be used as left wingers because Araujo has the right side locked down.
Pineda and Vice President Carlos Bocanegra hinted last week that they are considering changing the team’s base formation, possibly to a back four because there aren’t a lot of options, which would eliminate one centerback and add either a midfielder or striker.
Doing that, the team could use a 4-2-3-1, which would keep the double pivot, a 4-1-4-1, which would eliminate it, or a 4-3-3, which team has used in the past, etc.
Still, there’s not many ways to get all three players in the middle of the field at the same time.
It may not be an issue early next season. Hyndman missed most of last season after suffering a knee injury during a training session. The team shared video of him running last week, which indicates his rehab is on track.
I’ve said on the Southern Fried Soccer podcast that I also wouldn’t be surprised if the team doesn’t consider trading Moreno. He is a solid player but I’m not sure he fits the mold of what Pineda wants to do strategically and tactically. Pineda wants to move the ball quickly. Neither Moreno, nor Barco for that matter, seem wired to do that. They are dribblers.
But trading or selling Moreno would take away depth that the team needs. It seems unlikely the team could trade or sell Hyndman within MLS because he is coming off an injury and he has a high salary ($900,000) in a capped league.
So, can Pineda get all three on the field at the same time what would be their best positions?
I don’t see how.
No matter the formation, all three can’t be in the middle, along with Santiago Sosa as a defensive midfielder.
Will Pineda elect to play either Moreno or Araujo as a winger?
It will be interesting to see what Bocanegra and Pineda do.
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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule
Feb. 27 vs. Sporting KC, 3 p.m.
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