Atlanta United’s goals for its eighth MLS season haven’t changed from its previous seven, vice president Carlos Bocanegra said Tuesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The team wants to finish among the top four in the Eastern Conference and compete for trophies. Bocanegra thinks the roster, which features Thiago Almada, Giorgos Giakoumakis and possibly as many as three new starters, is equipped to do that. Bocanegra said the club has yet to receive any genuine offers for Almada, with most transfer windows in Europe closing by Feb. 2.
“We have our process, I think we feel really good about our process at the moment,” Bocanegra said. “And each kind of year, each window we reflect, we’re slightly improving and slightly adjusting to modify, to minimize errors and get what we want to get. Now the team has to get on the field.”
Atlanta United finished in sixth place in the Eastern Conference next season. It scored the second-most goals (66) in MLS. The entirety of that attack, which also includes Saba Lobjanidze, Xande Silva and fullbacks Brooks Lennon and Caleb Wiley, returned.
The defense allowed the seventh-most goals (53), which is where Bocanegra and the scouting department put in a lot of work.
The team added goalkeeper Josh Cohen, whom Bocanegra said is a good “shot-stopper” and is expected to compete with Brad Guzan for the starting spot. It added centerback Stian Gregersen, who said Tuesday his strengths are his pace and one-on-one defending, and midfielder Dax McCarty for leadership and skill. It will add another defensive midfielder, reportedly Bartosz Slisz from Poland. Bocanegra wouldn’t confirm the Slisz signing Tuesday. There is another signing, apart from what should be Slisz, to be completed. It is expected to be a depth piece.
Among the players no longer on the roster, the team didn’t offer contracts to midfielders Amar Sejdic and Matheus Rossetto. Centerback Miles Robinson turned down a multi-year offer from Atlanta United and signed with Cincinnati as a free agent on a one-year contract with a one-year option. Bocanegra said he didn’t expect Robinson to sign with another MLS team. Bocanegra said Atlanta United didn’t offer a shorter contract to Robinson. Bocanegra there was an interest in clubs from Europe in Robinson during the previous summer window. Atlanta United elected to keep him and push for the playoffs, where it was beaten in three games by Columbus.
The club has loaned Franco Ibarra and Santiago Sosa to clubs which have options to purchase those players. Both were signed under MLS Under 22 Initiative. Bocanegra said the club won’t refill those slots.
“Looking to correct some more defensive challenges that we had last year and have a bit more balance,” Bocanegra said.
The only players currently signed and missing from training camp are Gregersen, who is waiting on his visa; Cohen, for reasons not yet announced; Wiley, who is with the U.S. Olympic team; Almada, who is with the Argentina’s Under-23 team; and winger Edwin Mosquera, who is with Colombia’s U23 team. Wiley should rejoin Atlanta United next week. Almada and Mosquera should rejoin the team no later than mid-February. Atlanta United will open its season at Columbus on Feb. 24.
Bocanegra said the team does not have any contraction extension offers to any players.
Bocanegra said the team has consistently tried to build a roster with enough time for the players to have time to gel in camp. This is the first season in several that it has happened. That, combined with other teams competing in the Champions League, which Atlanta United didn’t qualify for, could result in the possibility of a good start, according to Bocanegra.
“Thirty percent of your success is your preseason,” Giakoumakis. “Preseason for me is very, very important for us.”
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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule
Feb. 24 at Columbus, 2 p.m.
March 9 vs. New England, 7:30 p.m.
March 17 vs. Orlando, 7 p.m., FS1
March 23 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
March 31 vs. Chicago, 3:30 p.m., FOX
April 6 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
April 14 vs. Philadelphia, 2:30 p.m., FOX
April 20 vs. Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
April 27 at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
May 4 vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
May 11 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
May 15 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
May 18 at Nashville, 1:30 p.m.
May 25 vs. LAFC, 7:30 p.m.
May 29 at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
June 2 vs Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., FOX
June 15 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m.
June 19 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 22 at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m.
June 29 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
July 3 at New England, 7:30 p.m.
July 6 at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m.
July 13 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 17 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
July 20 vs. Columbus, 7:30 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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