Atlanta United used time off to ‘100%’ get better

Atlanta United didn’t want 20 days off. Instead, it wanted to advance out of the group stage of the Leagues Cup and compete for its first trophy since 2019.

But it didn’t advance. It was bounced for the second consecutive year.

Interim manager Rob Valentino and his staff went to work with each player individually and as a team to increase the probability that when it resumes MLS play on Saturday at L.A. Galaxy, Atlanta United will gain as many points as possible from its next nine matches and move up from ninth in the Eastern Conference.

Valentino’s verdict after that work.

“We got better,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday.

The individual work began a few days after Atlanta United was knocked out of the Leagues Cup by penalties by Santos Laguna on Aug. 4.

Valentino, who studies leadership with a daily discipline, wanted to be very intentional with the time between games. He met with each player over two days and asked them two questions: What do you want out of the season, and what do you expect from your teammates?

Every player’s first answer started with making the playoffs. Nine teams will make it out of the East. The Five Stripes are in the final playoff spot, with several teams below them within a win of tying them.

“That part is pretty cool,” Valentino said. “Now we know they believe in each other, that they think that they can get something out of their season that leads to them in the playoffs and then potentially leads them. … They know that when they get in the playoffs, anything can happen. So that part was really good to hear from them.”

Knowing that the playoffs, the last possible trophy Atlanta United can win this season having also been eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup, is the want, Valentino said it means that the players will hold each other accountable, which answered the second question.

“So when new players come into the environment, they can also hold them accountable and say, like, oh, like, we don’t act that way here,’ ‘Or, hey, that’s great behavior,’ ” Valentino said. “We encourage each other. And also we can be critical at the right moments.”

There will be just one new player, Alexey Miranchuk. Atlanta United signed him for $13 million from Atalanta in Italy. His first training session with the club will be Tuesday. Pedro Amador, signed on a free transfer, has already made two appearances, including one start. Valentino said he has spoken with Miranchuk but has yet to meet him.

Tactically, Valentino said the team continued to work on switching fields with the ball, counterattacks and transition moments, which he thinks they have done well but need to be more ruthless, and individual and team defending, particularly in the middle third of the field, which can be improved. Atlanta United is 13th in goals scored (34) and ninth goals allowed (36).

Miranchuk should help the attack.

Valentino said he envisions him as someone working in the small gaps in defenses, feeding the ball to teammates running into spaces.

“The conversation I did have with him the first time, he seemed pretty smart and switched on in that sense, so he will understand how that works,” Valentino said.

The team is mostly healthy. Valentino said Ronald Hernandez’s rehab is on schedule and that striker Daniel Rios, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first half against Santos Laguna, may be ready for the Galaxy.

As for the players not with the team, notably the absence of another striker brought in during the transfer window, Valentino said he hasn’t given that much thought.

“My only focus during the transfer window, which is, thank God, that’s my only responsibility, how I can make this team better with what we’ve got right now, how can we get down to the individual, make the relationships that much stronger out there and inside the building?” he said. “It didn’t matter who they brought in. We got better and we know that we controlled everything we could. That’ll be outcome-based. But I left those last eight training sessions … we got better. One-hundred percent we got better. We feel like we got better people in the building. We feel like we’re on the way up in that sense, and on the field, we felt like we made a lot of progression. So now we’ll go and try to apply that and see if we can get the outcome we desire.”

For more content about Atlanta United

Follow me on Twitter/X @DougRobersonAJC

On Facebook at Atlanta United News Now

On Instagram at DouglasDavidRoberson

Atlanta United coverage on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Southern Fried Soccer podcast can be found

Apple — https://apple.co/3ISD6Ve

Spotify — https://spoti.fi/3L8TN0C

Google podcasts — https://bit.ly/32KlZW3

If you are going to listen to the podcast for the first time, please follow it on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts … and if you like what you hear, please give us a good rating so we can grow the show. If you have questions about the MLS team, you can email Doug Roberson at droberson@ajc.com, DM him on Twitter @dougrobersonajc or call 404-526-2527.

Stay up to date every day on breaking news, in-depth investigations, politics, sports, entertainment, food and dining and so much more by becoming a subscriber to the AJC. Go to AJC.com/start for a very special offer and unlock hundreds of original articles published daily on the refreshed AJC.com and the new AJC mobile app. Plus, access to our news alerts, subscriber-only events, AJC original shows, films and videos, newsletters, and so much more.

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