Atlanta United manager Gonzalo Pineda said that the first few conversations he has with recently signed players revolve around their motivation and family. Centerback Derrick Williams said it was more than that.
Williams, who signed Jan. 12, and Pineda dove deep into tactics, what type of team he was coming to and the type of soccer the club plays. Although talking about families and the club’s culture is important, Pineda emphasized his excitement when talking about the sport, and he could tell Willams felt the same way.
The two chatted for 45 minutes, making both even more thrilled to get started.
“He’s going to be a great addition for the club,” Pineda said. “When we start to build, (defenders) have to be aggressive, they have to be willing to break lines from the ground. Play possession style, but also be willing to play through the lines.”
Williams spent the past three seasons with MLS’s LA Galaxy and D.C. United, and before that, 11 seasons in England.
Atlanta United selected Williams with the No. 1 pick in Stage 2 of the MLS re-entry draft in December — a process players who are out of contract but not qualified for free agency must go through.
Although Williams described the draft process as horrible, he was overjoyed to learn that he was headed to “one of the best (squads) in the league.” He felt a similar excitement during his first trip to Atlanta United’s training grounds in Marietta, where the club already had his entire kit with accurate sizes ready, and the security guard talked to him for three to four minutes.
The 30-year-old added that his two goals this season are to win the MLS Cup and help the team concede less goals.
“I just want to get as many clean sheets and get those goals tallied down,” Williams said. “We’ve done a lot of work so far since I’ve been here about unit defending, high press, mid-block, low-block. … The high press is a great opportunity for us because the players we have attacking are so dangerous.”
Williams said that he talks a lot on the pitch, and after his and Pineda’s conversation, he wants to bring his leadership skills, experience and aggressive playing style to the table as well. Williams has more made than 300 appearances across his time in England and MLS.
And with some of his teammates readying for their first season in the league, he hopes to help them get more acclimated to the season’s whirlwinds such as schedules, traveling and playing in different environments.
“I faced him with (Seattle) Sounders many times, and we always remembered him as a very good, aggressive centerback,” Pineda said. “It’s always good to have guys in the locker room talking to others about (schedule) complications and how they can overcome that adversity.”
Atlanta United plays its first exhibition match Saturday against Birmingham at Protective Stadium. Although it’s a chance for players to get their legs warm and clubs to go over tactics, Williams views it as a chance to build the team’s relationship.
“You’re learning about each other, how quick we are, how someone reacts when something goes for them, so it’s just a learning curve,” Williams said. “When you’re out there training, competing against each other, putting in tackles, it’s always nice to know when you see someone put in a hard tackle you’re like ‘you got my back if I need them.’”
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