Atlanta United believes it can compete for the MLS Cup

Winners of seven of its past eight MLS games, Atlanta United has rocketed up the Eastern Conference, and its players are setting bigger goals.

“I think this team, if we keep playing this way, can compete for the league, and that’s the goal,” Ezequiel Barco said. “I don’t have any doubt that we’ll be fighting for everything.”

Atlanta United has the DNA to win trophies. It won the MLS Cup in 2018 and the U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup in 2019. Its new manager, Gonzalo Pineda, helped Seattle win the MLS Cup in 2019. Its newest acquisition, Luiz Araujo, helped Lille win Ligue 1 in France.

In the past nine games under interim manager Rob Valentino and then Pineda, the team has moved from 11th in the standings to fifth entering play Sunday. It either will stay in fifth or drop to sixth, depending upon Sunday’s results.

“The belief is definitely there,” centerback Anton Walkes said. “It’s showing in our performances. I think it was always there, but it’s hard to show that when you are coming off a loss or after a bad performance and try to convince some people of that belief because they are angry in that moment.

“The momentum has shifted with what’s gone on in our facility, with the new coaching staff coming in. I think you saw it under Rob, it was pretty evident, and we’ve just been clicking as a group, and we are enjoying every single moment right now.”

Belief can be hard to quantify. One data point is that the team has scored as many goals in its past six games (13) as it scored in its first 13 under since-fired manager Gabriel Heinze.

That belief is showing in what Atlanta United’s players are trying. It’s difficult to believe that Barco would have attempted the free kick that led to the opening goal Saturday against D.C. United earlier this season without belief. It’s difficult to believe that Moreno would have successfully dribbled past five D.C. United defenders Saturday on what proved to be the game-winning goal by George Bello without belief.

“Confidence does play a part, and right now they have been fantastic,” Walkes said. “We are going to keep encouraging that confidence because right now they are carrying the team. They are great examples of what it’s like to shift the momentum within the team. Questions were being asked of all of us earlier this year. Now we are silencing those critics, but the job is not finished yet.”

That belief also was evident in Atlanta United’s reactions Saturday against D.C. United, according to Pineda.

After Atlanta United scored to take a 2-0 lead, D.C. United scored a goal. That brought back memories of the team’s 2-0 leads earlier this season against Philadelphia and Nashville that ended with 2-2 draws after late goals by the opponents.

But this time Atlanta United scored a third goal, and came close to adding a fourth and fifth, before D.C. United scored a second one in the final seconds.

It was a good sign, according to Pineda.

“At 2-1, you could see the mentality of the team,” Pineda said. “You could see them continue playing, continue fighting, continue winning goals, and then they created a few more chances. That’s the response I want to see. That’s the response that’s going to put us in a good place, and I loved that.”

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April 24 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 1

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May 9 Atlanta United 1, Inter Miami 1,

May 15 Atlanta United 1, Montreal 0

May 23 Atlanta United 1, Seattle 1