Playing without the injured Miguel Almiron, but not confidence, Atlanta United is prepared for Wednesday’s pivotal game against Philadelphia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
With a win, Atlanta United (14-8-7) will become the first MLS expansion team since Seattle in 2009 to make the playoffs. The Five Stripes, in third place in the East, can also keep pressure on NYCFC in the chase for second, which comes with a bye in the playoffs.
“Nothing changes for our goals, our style of play or the way we want to attack or how we feel we can do each game, but it makes the job a little more difficult,” Atlanta United captain Michael Parkhurst said of being short-handed.
Behind an offense that has scored 19 goals and a defense that has posted four shutouts, Atlanta United has won four of its past five, all at home. The team has been beaten just once in it past 13 games. Those results came with Almiron, who sustained a hamstring injury in the first half of Sunday’s 2-0 win over Montreal. He is expected to a miss a minimum of three weeks.
Asked what the team will miss most without Almiron, who has nine goals, 13 assists and the ability to single-handedly occupy another team’s defense because of his speed and dribbling ability, Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino gave a one-word answer: Soccer.
Martino followed with this: “He’s a main player for us. He brings control of the ball, passing ability, explosion in the attacking half. He’s a big part of the team. We are missing nothing more and nothing less than all of that.”
Julian Gressel, who has scored two goals and has eight assists, tied for second in league history among MLS rookies, has played as the attacking midfielder a few times among his 27 appearances, which includes 19 starts. He replaced Almiron when he was injured and could step into the role again.
“Still going to bring the same energy, the same intensity, still want to win the game, you know?” Gressel said. “This is to make the playoffs for sure and to make a case for second in the East. It’ll be a tough match. We will be ready and we will have a high level just like in the past few games.”
Atlanta United’s offense can relax a little bit, even without Almiron, because its defense is playing very well as a team. The team has the second-biggest goal difference (28) in the league.
Parkhurst said that defense starts with the work being done far from goal by striker Josef Martinez and midfieflders Hector Villalba and Yamil Asad. Carlos Carmona and Villalba teamed up to take away the ball near Montreal’s penalty box in the first half of Sunday’s game. The sequenced ended with Villalba slamming a right-footed shot for the opening goal.
“Cohesion is getting better,” Parkhurst said. “The whole team understand their roles defensively.”
Led by C.J. Sapong, who has 14 goals, Fafa Picault (five goals) and Chris Pontius (six assists), Philadelphia has enough offense to challenge Atlanta United. Though it is ninth in the East and has very little chance of making the playoffs, it also has the confidence of knowing it tied Atlanta United 2-2 in the previous meeting at Talen Energy Stadium on Aug. 26. The Five Stripes needed a late goal from Tyrone Mears to earn the point in the road game that preceded their six-game homestand.
But Atlanta United is ready, even without Almiron.
“The confidence doesn’t change because the whole team has been playing well,” Gressel said. “It’s really more about the team coming together now and making up for the great player we’ve lost on the field. Other players will have to step up.”
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