Ozzie Alonso ready to help Atlanta United win trophies

Ozzie Alonso has almost 28,000 MLS minutes on his 36-year-old legs.

What legs they are.

One MLS Cup. One Supporter’s Shield. Four U.S. Open Cup.

Now, Alonso said Thursday he is hoping to squeeze a few more minutes out of those legs to help Atlanta United challenge for its second MLS Cup, second U.S. Open Cup and first Supporter’s Shield. Outside of the shortened 2020 season, he’s never played fewer than 1,412 minutes in a season.

“I need to try to find a way to get into the team first,” he said. “You know you never know in soccer. You know my main goal is go there, find a way into the team and do my best. I don’t know how many minutes I’m going to play. I know how many games are there, but it’s about going there, day by day train and every day, and you will be ready for for anything.”

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Alonso was recruited by manager Gonzalo Pineda, his former teammate and then assistant coach at Seattle. Alonso said it’s easy to talk to Pineda, whom he described as a very passionate player with a fierce desire to win.

The two talked because Alonso was a free agent after playing the previous three seasons with Minnesota. Atlanta United needed a player with the experience and steel to dictate pace and affect results, especially late in games. The club dropped 13 points last season when leading games at the 75th minute, including watching four wins turn into draws at home. It either won 12 points or failed to win 27 when tied at the 75th minute. It went 4-0-5 in those games. It went 0-8-2 when trailing at the 75th minute.

Alonso said as he has gained experience, age and miles on his legs he has learned a few things about himself and keeping results.

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First, he said he’s learned better how to read games and angles. With that, he can make decisions when to make fouls or when to take a few extra seconds with the ball to starve the opponent from an opportunity to do anything to try to affect the outcome.

The club also needed someone to be an example for its two young defensive midfielders, Santiago Sosa, 22, and Franco Ibarra, 20. Alonso said he doesn’t know the two players personally but has watched them and knows that they are quality.

“It’s going to be good for me to be an example for them,” he said.

One more impressive thing about Alonso, and perhaps another reason that Atlanta United pursued him, is his streak of never missing the playoffs. That’s 14 consecutive years of participating in the postseason. After all, a team can’t win a trophy if it doesn’t qualify. Atlanta United missed in 2020 and took probably too long considering the talent on the roster to secure a spot in 2021.

Alonso said they key is consistency, which comes from passion.

Even at 36 and nearing 30,000 minutes, Alonso is still very much motivated.

“I’m still hungry to win, hungry to play, hungry to do my best for the team,” he said.

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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule

Feb. 27 vs. Sporting KC, 3 p.m., FS1

March 5 at Colorado, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

March 13 vs. Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., FS1