Atlanta United has been in this position before: two times actually since the summer MLS tournament in Orlando.
The MLS team defeats an opponent and hopes to follow with a winning streak. Each time, instead of showing the confidence gained from earning three points the team has fallen flat. Defeating Nashville was followed by a 3-1 thumping by Orlando. Defeating Dallas was followed by a weak opening effort in a 2-0 loss at Chicago.
Now, Atlanta United is coming off a 4-0 win against a weak D.C. United squad. But a victory is a victory and Atlanta United must play with confidence because it is hosting Orlando, one of this season’s better teams, on Wednesday and Red Bulls, a team it has never beaten in the regular season, on Saturday. Atlanta United is 1-1 against Orlando this season and 0-1-0 against Red Bulls.
“I think it’s important that we build on it," interim manager Stephen Glass said. "We’ve won games in isolation, so I think it’s important that we build on this performance. You saw a group that was assured tonight. They believed in what they were doing, they were very focused. The work rate off the ball contributed greatly to the performance on it. We were ready to react if we lost it. It’s important that we do build on it. It’s hard to say that it will definitely happy, because we have been here before, but the way the group performed tonight they like that feeling. They will want more of that.”
Earning points from the next two games is important because both teams are ahead of Atlanta United in the table. The Five Stripes are in eighth with 17 points. The team is one point ahead of 11th place Chicago and four ahead of 12th place Cincinnati.
Orlando is in third with 29 points. Red Bulls are in seventh with 20 points. The top 10 teams will advance to the playoffs. The teams that finish seventh-10th will compete in single-game play-ins. If Atlanta United can climb to at least sixth it can avoid that play-in game.
To avoid that play-in game it must continue to play with the focus and confidence it showed against D.C. United. Bucking trends, the team didn’t give up a goal within the game’s first 15 minutes, something it had allowed six times in five previous games. It was 0-5-0 in those games.
“First of all, we need to stay positive and continue what we did tonight," midfielder Brooks Lennon said. "Every person on the field gave their best effort. The guys up top finished the chances that they got. We can’t dwell on what’s happened to us in the past, early on in the season. We have to look forward and continue to build. I think Wednesday is a great opportunity for us to continue that and get another three points.”
Atlanta United coming games
Wednesday vs. Orlando (6-2-4), 7 p.m., FSSE
Oct. 10 vs. New York Red Bulls (4-6-2), 6 p.m., FSS
Oct. 14 at Miami (3-7-2), 8 p.m., FSSE
Oct. 18 at Toronto (6-2-4) in Hartford, Conn., 7:30 p.m., FSSE
Oct. 24 vs. D.C. United (2-5-5), 4 p.m., FSSE
Oct. 28 at Orlando (6-2-4), 7:30 p.m., FS1
Nov. 1 vs. Cincinnati (3-6-3), 7 p.m., FSSE
Nov. 8 at Columbus (8-1-3), 3:30 p.m., FSSE
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