Though they are unbeaten in their last six games playing a 3-5-2 formation, Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino said on Thursday that he wishes the team could play a four-man backline at times.
The four-man backline, with two centerbacks and two fullbacks, was a part of the 4-3-3, or 4-2-3-1 formation, the team predominately used last season to become the first expansion team since Seattle in 2009 to make the MLS playoffs.
After being beaten by Houston 4-0 in the season-opening game using that formation, Martino switched to a the 3-5-2 and the team has won five of six. That game may have been an anomaly because the team was dealing with an injury to midfielder Ezequiel Barco and a decision about centerback Michael Parkhurst’s fitness that forced lineup decisions that Martino likely won’t repeat this season.
The 3-5-2 uses a three centerbacks and is stronger defensively, which is one of the reasons the team has three shutouts this season. Atlanta United will host Montreal at 1 p.m. Saturday.
But the formation makes it difficult to accomplish two things Martino prefers: playing in the opponent’s half, and trying to create turnovers by pressing the opponent in their half because there is one fewer player up the field to work the press.
Martino said the team has been working on both during training sessions and thought they did well in the first half of last week’s 2-0 win against the L.A. Galaxy.
Asked why the team doesn’t revert to the formation that helped it finish with 55 points last season, Martino said he thinks they will be able to use the formation against certain teams, particularly those that like to build out of the back.
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