FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The sooner Atlanta United can get injured striker Giorgos Giakoumakis back, the better.
Atlanta United has lost the past three matches in which Giakoumakis hasn’t played and has failed to sparkle in any.
The most recent defeat came 2-1 at Inter Miami on Saturday at DRV PNK Stadium. Both of Miami’s goals were scored by Josef Martinez, the player Atlanta United bought out during the offseason because they thought they needed something new.
Giakoumakis has been very good with five goals. But without him, the team has scored three goals and put nine shots on goal in its past three games, starting with being knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup by Memphis, a USL-level side.
When Giakoumakis plays or starts, the team is 4-0-3 with an average of 2.14 goals per game. When he doesn’t, Atlanta United is 1-3-0 with an average of 1.25 goals per game.
“Yeah, I mean GG is a fantastic player,” fullback Andrew Gutman said. “We’ve all seen that when he’s healthy, there is no hiding that. But just because he’s out doesn’t mean that it should change that much.”
Atlanta United’s next two games are at home against Charlotte on May 13 and then against Colorado on May 17 before it travels to Chicago on May 20. The three-game stretch will be crucial in seeing if Atlanta United has worked out its issues in the attacking third, and if it’s a legitimate threat to win its second MLS Cup.
It seems unlikely that Giakoumakis will feature in all three because of the schedule compression and his recent history of hamstring issues.
Without Giakoumakis, whose relentless pressing when Atlanta United doesn’t have the ball and ability to physically match up with centerbacks when it does have the ball, the team’s offense has gone mostly static. When Atlanta United has the ball, not matter who is on the wing or in central midfield, there isn’t a lot of off-the-ball movement. Moving without the ball is something the team frequently trains. Miami tried to negate that tactic by playing in a middle- or low-block whose goal is to frustrate and counterattack.
Gutman said the players need to be willing to make those runs and that teammates need to be willing to make the passes because opponents are going to continue to “sit on us.”
Atlanta United created 16 chances against Miami, with more than half coming in the final seven minutes of regulation and nine minutes of stoppage time.
The players who have started in place of Giakoumakis, Machop Chol and Miguel Berry, have combined for four shots, one on goal, in the past three games.
Atlanta United manager Gonzalo Pineda said he doesn’t feel like the players are losing confidence.
“I think it’s final third decision making,” he said. “Maybe being in a rush at times because they are trying so hard to score goals. It seems they are in a rush in the final third and we need to slow down a bit in those situations. But I felt today that we played good for many moments of the game. It’s just that lack of ability to produce a bit higher quality in the final third.”
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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
May 13 vs. Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m.
May 17 vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m.
May 20 at Chicago Fire FC, 8:30 p.m.
May 27 at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m.
May 31 vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m., FS1
June 3 at Los Angeles FC, 10:30 p.m.
June 10 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 21 vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
June 24 at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
July 2 vs. Philadelphia Union, 4 p.m., Fox
July 8 at CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 12 at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.
July 15 vs. Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m., FS1
Aug. 20 at Seattle Sounders, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 26 vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2 at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 vs. Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23 vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 7 vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 at FC Cincinnati, TBA
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