Trying to put together a game roster for Atlanta United in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup rematch against Charleston may be as complicated as predicting election primaries.
Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino must try to balance how to pick the squad to win this game against a Battery team that is undefeated in its past 11 with needing to field the strongest, fittest possible team for Saturday’s showdown with NYCFC at Yankee Stadium and then another big game at Columbus.
“In reality, what we are trying to do is to take into account the level of fatigue of some of the guys on the team and think about it when we are thinking about,” Martino said. “Really, we are focused on tomorrow first and then New York and then Columbus.”
Adding to the difficulty is that the U.S. Open Cup allows teams to choose a maximum of five international players for each game. Of Atlanta United’s league-leading 30 goals, 22 have been scored by international players. Of the team’s 24 assists, 11 were notched by internationals. Josef Martinez, Miguel Almiron, Ezequiel Barco and Julian Gressel are some of those key international players.
Will Martino risk using them on Wednesday in the game at Kennesaw State and it possibly impacting their production not only on Saturday, but also on Wednesday in another key game Eastern Conference game at Columbus?
Probably not.
Martino offered a clue to Wednesday’s roster after Saturday’s win against Philadelphia, saying many of the players who were on the bench would be in the squad for Wednesday’s game.
He didn’t want to give any more hints on Tuesday.
“The clues started and ended after the game,” he said, smiling.
But, that one little clue is enough to know that it seems very likely that striker Romario Williams, midfielders Andrew Carleton, Brandon Vazquez and Kevin Kratz, fullback Mikey Ambrose and goalkeeper Alec Kann will start.
Martino’s statement also implies that defensive midfielder/fullback Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu and centerback Miles Robinson may start.
A lineup may look like this: Kann as goalkeeper, Zizzo and Ambrose as fullbacks, Robinson and Franco Escobar as centerbacks, Wheeler-Omiunu and Kratz as defensive midfielders, Carleton as a central midfielder, Vazquez and Hector Villalba as wide midfielders and Williams as striker.
With the exception of Escobar, the remaining players are all domestic, or considered non-internationals because some, like Williams, Villalba and Kratz, have green cards or work visas. So, Martino can put internationals Martinez, Almiron and Barco on the bench, should the team need to rally.
Though few in that group, other than Escobar, have started a lot of games this season, Martino said they have performed well when needed.
“I wouldn’t say we have something to prove,” Williams said. “We have a deep squad. It’s another opportunity for guys to show what they are worth, show why they are part of this team and to show why this team has been so successful in the early part of the season.
Even using standouts Martinez and Almiron in last year’s U.S. Open Cup game, Charleston proved a tough out in the U.S. Open Cup. The Battery took a 2-0 lead in the first half that should have been 3-0 if not for a missed penalty. The Five Stripes rallied to win 3-2 on goals from Kratz, Martinez and Vazquez.
Charleston has made a few changes to that squad. Manager Mike Anhaeuser is using a three-man backline with two wingbacks, a formation similar to one Atlanta United is using, that has made it tough to break down with just 13 goals allowed in 12 games.
“Charleston is a strong team,” Martino said.
The winner of the U.S. Open Cup earns a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament.
