Atlanta United manager Gonzalo Pineda said the team’s focus the next few weeks will be improving defensively, particularly “certain little details,” while trying to get some players healthy and new faces integrated.
Those little details cost Atlanta United in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Orlando at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta United (9-7-8) gave up a goal on a set piece, and another on a quick attack during which its formation was disorganized.
How much time Atlanta United has depends upon how important one views what’s upcoming: the Leagues Cup. It is an inaugural tournament featuring all the teams LIGA MX and MLS. Atlanta United is in a group with Inter Miami and Cruz Azul. Atlanta United’s first game will be at Miami, with newly signed Lionel Messi, on July 25.
It’s clear how much Atlanta United values the tournament.
“This is Atlanta United and we want trophies, so we are going to go for it all in Leagues Cup, and then once MLS (regular season) resumes after that, I think we have 12 games remaining after that, we are going to have to put our foot on the throttle and try to get as many points as we can to get a home playoff game,” midfielder Amar Sejdic said.
Some supporters, posting on social media sites, prefer the team not spend too much energy on the tournament and instead focus on trying to make the MLS playoffs, which the it has missed two of the past three season. The team’s goal, according to President Garth Lagerwey, is to finish at least fourth in the East. It is in seventh, three points from fourth.
Atlanta United won’t play its next MLS match until it goes to Seattle on Aug. 20.
By then, Pineda said he hopes his players are healthy. Among the group that was on the gameday roster against Orlando, striker Giorgos Giaoumakis, centerback Miles Robinson and midfielder Ozie Alonso weren’t fully healthy. Starting midfielder Machop Chol left the match in the first half with a right ankle injury that didn’t appear serious. Giakoumakis, who leads the team with 10 goals, came on in the second half. He has appeared in 17 games, with 11 starts. Robinson didn’t play on Saturday.
The team also hopes that new signing Tristan Muyumba, a central midfielder, will have received his work visa and have had time to work with his teammates. Vice President Carlos Bocanegra said two weeks ago that the team hopes that Muyumba will have received his visa by the Miami Leagues Cup match.
The team may have also added a striker and a winger, with both eligible to play and having had some training time, for the Seattle match.
That training time will be partially focused on improving the details that have cost the team six points in its past two matches. New England took advantage of a poor clearance and a counter-attack to defeat Atlanta United 2-1 on Wednesday in Foxborough, Mass. Orlando took advantage of two more errors for its two goals.
“So hard because there are little things that maybe those things, those little details, make a difference between a good team and a great team,” centerback JuanJo Purata said. “So I think those details we have to improve them. We have the Leagues cup ahead and 10 more games left in the season. And it’s time to fix those details because we want to be in the top four of the standings and that is our first goal. And yeah, we have to improve.”
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Atlanta United’s 2023 MLS schedule
Feb. 25 Atlanta United 2, San Jose Earthquakes 1
March 4 Atlanta United 1, Toronto FC 1
March 11 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte FC 0
March 18 Atlanta United 5, Portland 1
March 25 Columbus 6, Atlanta United 1
April 1 Atlanta United 1, New York Red Bulls 0
April 8 Atlanta United 1, New York City FC 1
April 15 Atlanta United 2, Toronto FC 2
April 23 Atlanta United 2, Chicago 1
April 29 Nashville SC 3, Atlanta United 1
May 6 Inter Miami CF 2, Atlanta United 1
May 13 Charlotte 3, Atlanta United 1
May 17 Atlanta United 4, Colorado 0
May 20 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 3
May 27 Atlanta United 1, Orlando 1
May 31 Atlanta United 3, New England 3
June 7 Atlanta United 0, LAFC 0
June 10 Atlanta United 3, D.C. United 1
June 21 Atlanta United 2, New York City 2
June 24 New York Red Bulls 4, Atlanta United 0
July 2 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 0
July 8 Atlanta United 1, Montreal 0
July 12 New England 2, Atlanta United 1
July 15 Orlando City 2, Atlanta United 1
July 25 at Miami in Leagues Cup, 7:30 p.m.
July 29 vs. Cruz Azul in Leagues Cup, 8 p.m.
Aug. 20 at Seattle Sounders, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 26 vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2 at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 vs. Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23 vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 7 vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 at FC Cincinnati, TBA
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