Atlanta United interim manager Rob Valentino has said a few times that players are going to make mistakes. It’s part of sports. What he hopes to see is players not making the same mistake more than once.
The good news is Atlanta United isn’t repeating mistakes.
The bad news is that the mistakes Atlanta United is making are costing it points in its attempt to make the playoffs.
Three games ago, at New England, it was a failure to finish plays. Two games ago, at Real Salt Lake, it was defending set pieces. On Tuesday, against Indy Eleven in the U.S. Open Cup, it was transition defense.
“I do see the team making some progress in certain areas,” Valentino said.
Valentino likes the progress he is seeing in counter-movements. He liked the team’s defensive shape in the first half against Real Salt Lake. He believes if the team can maintain its shape defensively, it has enough attacking talent that it can be hard to defeat.
Atlanta United has given up seven goals in the past three matches, with Montreal its next opponent Saturday in Canada.
“If we can get better at that, and just talk about one thing, if we can really go out if we can get better at that, then all right, we’ve got some different skill sets here, and we can tap into some different things in different games,” Valentino said.
Valentino has played with three centerbacks, two wingbacks, three midfielders and two strikers in most matches since taking over seven matches ago for the fired Gonzalo Pineda.
Asked if he’s considering switching the formation to use only two centerbacks in order to add a midfielder, he said the coaching staff will take each game as its own puzzle and implied the formation won’t change.
“I think some consistency is important at the moment,” he said. " The results aren’t going to dictate what we do every single time. They are important. But like, I don’t think that’s causing us the issues.”
Saturday’s match may seem more important than others because Montreal also is competing to try to make the playoffs. Atlanta United is in 10th place with 24 points and Montreal is in 11th with 23. Toronto, with 24 points, is in the ninth and final playoff spot in the East.
Valentino said just because Atlanta United will play another team competing for the postseason doesn’t make the game any more or less important than any other.
Montreal has two wins its past 16 matches, but will be bolstered by the return of several players who were with Canada in the Copa America. Atlanta United’s roster isn’t as strong, but it has sold three starters.
“We have to come back in a good way,” midfielder Bartosz Slisz. “It’s not easy. But there will not be easy games in this season. So we have to adjust to the situation. We have to stick together and just keep going.”
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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule
Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0
March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1
March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0
March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0
March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0
April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1
April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2
April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1
April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1
May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1
May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in U.S. Open Cup
May 11 D.C. United 3, Atlanta United 2
May 15 Cincinnati 1, Atlanta United 0
May 18 Atlanta United 1, Nashville 1
May 21 Atlanta United 0 (5), Charleston 0 (4) in U.S. Open Cup
May 25 LAFC 1, Atlanta United 0
May 29 Atlanta United 3, Miami 1
June 2 Charlotte 3, Atlanta United 2
June 15 Atlanta United 2, Houston 2
June 19 Atlanta United 1, D.C. United 0
June 22 Atlanta United 1, St. Louis 1
June 29 Atlanta United 2, Toronto 1
July 3 New England 2, Atlanta United 1
July 6 Real Salt Lake 5, Atlanta United 2
July 9 vs. Indy Eleven 2, Atlanta United 1
July 13 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 17 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
July 20 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
July 26 vs. D.C. United in Leagues Cup, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 4 vs. Santos Laguna in Leagues Cup, 4 p.m.
Aug. 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 31 at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 vs. Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Orlando, 6 p.m.
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