Atlanta United’s Luis Abram helps stabilize defense

Luis Abram became a full-time starter as one of Atlanta United’s two centerbacks 15 matches ago.

In those league matches, the team allowed 17 goals, an average of 1.1 per match. In the 19 matches that started the season, during which Abram made only one start, Atlanta United allowed 36 goals, an average of 1.9 per match.

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Abram isn’t the only reason that the team’s defense transformed from one of the league’s worst to one that is much better, but his cerebral style and passing ability have helped. Atlanta United’s season will continue with the MLS playoffs. The team will play at Columbus in Game 1 of a best-of-three series Wednesday.

“He’s been very consistent,” manager Gonzalo Pineda said. “I think at times, he’s also offering a compliment for others. When you have an aggressive player and athletic player, like Miles (Robinson), you need a compliment that has other abilities that complement that pairing.”

When Abram signed, he was described by Vice President Carlos Bocanegra and Pineda as a cerebral player in the style of former Atlanta United captain Michael Parkhurst.

There was a “wait-and-see” belief because the team had struggled for seasons to find a stable partner for Robinson, one of the better defenders in MLS. Many were tried.

JuanJo Purata, a loanee from Tigres, started alongside Robinson this season, with Franco Ibarra at defensive midfielder, Andrew Gutman as the left fullback, Brooks Lennon on the right and Brad Guzan in goal.

The group, with a few changes from match to match, didn’t work well. There were communication errors, or mental mistakes, or moments of bad luck.

Abram moved into the starting lineup in place of Robinson, who was with the U.S. national team, in June. Robinson returned and moved into the lineup in place of Purata in August. The team traded Gutman and moved Caleb Wiley from left wing to left fullback. Lennon, who was bouncing between playing as a fullback or a winger, moved permanently back to right fullback. Tristan Muyumba was signed in the summer window and slotted into the lineup as defensive midfielder.

The defense started to gel.

“When I got here, I wasn’t getting as many minutes as I wanted to,” Abram said. “Gonzalo told me that he was going to bring me on little by little, and he was really honest with me at the time. And then, yeah, now I’m happy to be playing in the lineup.”

Abram has shown the skills described by Bocanegra and Pineda. His pass through the middle of Cincinnati’s defense started a goal-scoring sequence in the finale.

“Not many central backs in the league can do that,” said Pineda, who added that Abram likely will continue to make those types of passes as long as he stays central and doesn’t drift out wide.

And Abram’s defense has been mostly solid, and he and the rest of the group will need to be locked in Wednesday.

In the two teams’ recent match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which ended 1-1, Abram twice had to make to pinpoint sliding tackles to stop Columbus’ breakaways in the first half. Lennon and Robinson made a few, too.

“They’re a team that is very good in their pressing, so that’s something we’ve been working on in training is just how to how to deal with their press and how we can build out and deal with that,” Abram said.

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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