After focusing on its defensive fundamentals in its first weeks of training camp, Atlanta United has begun working on what manager Gonzalo Pineda wants the players to do when they have the ball.
The team may start to show some of that work during Sunday’s friendly against Celaya on Sunday in Guadalajara, Mexico, where the team is training for the next week or so.
“We’re kind of breaking it down and dissecting it from building out of the back, to the middle third, and into the final third,” midfielder Amar Sejdic said Friday. “So just kind of getting his ideas on how to do it. And of course, you know, we have a couple of games here to really apply it. So but yeah, we’re in the process of doing that now.”
Despite having some high-priced players, the team scored only 45 goals in 34 games last season. It tied for third-fewest among the 14 teams that qualified for the playoffs. Part of that lack of production can be traced to the team’s ineffectiveness under previous manager Gabriel Heinze. The team scored only 13 goals in 13 league games under him.
The team’s offense will be helped by the return of several players to training. Striker Josef Martinez and fullback Ronald Hernandez returned after appearing for Venezuela in its World Cup qualifying games. Centerback Miles Robinson, who can hit a line-splitting pass, returned from being with the U.S. for its qualifying games. Fullback Caleb Wiley and winger Machop Chol also returned from being with the U.S. Under-20s, and South Sudan, respectively. Additionally, midfielder Emerson Hyndman has begun training with the team. He suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his right knee last year.
There are still no updates on when, or if, attacking midfielder Thiago Almada may arrive, or the futures of striker Erik Lopez and winger Jurgen Damm, who manager Gonzalo Pineda said earlier this week was no longer a part of the team’s plans.
The team scored six goals in its first two preseason games but they were against semi-professional sides. Celaya, which plays in Mexico’s second division, will be a tougher opponent.
Some of the seeds of what Pineda is planting were evident in the first two preseason games. Players interchanged positions. If the defense left space, typically an Atlanta United player tried to move into that opening.
Sejdic said that fluidity is part of the plan.
“So if one player comes into a certain space, then the other player needs to be aware of where the open spaces so just having a better understanding of the guy next to you,” he said.
Sejdic and Hyndman could prove valuable within Pineda’s tactics. Both can play as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder or attacking midfielder. Both have good first touches and look to pass and move, rather than dribble.
Ozzie Alonso, who started at defensive midfielder in the first two games, said the training has been good. Alonso, 36, signed with the team as a free agent to provide experience.
“We’ve been working hard, playing out of the back, high intensity pressure, finishing,” he said. “We’ve been working on a lot of stuff. We’ve only been here three days but it’s been good so far. We have a game Sunday. Our main goal so far is to play out of the back.”
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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
March 19 vs. Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 2 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 9 at Charlotte, 3 p.m., ESPN
April 16 vs. Cincinnati, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 24 at Miami, 1 p.m., ESPN
April 30 at Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 7 vs. Chicago, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 15 vs. New England, 2 p.m., ESPN
May 21 at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. FOX
May 28 vs. Columbus Crew, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 19 vs Miami, 4 p.m., ESPN2
June 25 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 30 at New York Red Bulls, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 3 at NYCFC, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 9 vs. Austin, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 13 vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 17 vs. Orlando, 3 p.m., ABC
July 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 9:30 p.m., FS1
July 30 at Chicago, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
August 6 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., ABC
August 13 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
August 17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
August 21 at Columbus, 6 p.m., FS1
August 28 vs. D.C. United, 4 p.m., UNIV
August 31 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 at Portland, 5:30 p.m., FOX
Sept. 10 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 14 at Orlando, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept 17 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 1 at New England, 1 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 9 vs. NYCFC, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
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