Darren Eales encouraged by Atlanta United’s persistence on offense

Atlanta United’s offense is improving and its 1-1 draw against Seattle on Sunday is evidence, club President Darren Eales said on Tuesday.

The team rallied after giving up a goal in the sixth minute to get an equalizer when Brooks Lennon won a penalty kick that Josef Martinez converted in the 86th minute.

“They hadn’t conceded a goal at home,” Eales said. “We suffered that early blow. Certainly last season that would have seen our heads drop. We worked hard, got the equalizer. Got the point. For me, a fantastic result in a hostile environment.”

With the draw, the team improved to 2-1-3. It is in fifth place in the East, five points behind leaders New England. It has played just two league games at home.

With Martinez’s goal, his second this season, Atlanta United has scored seven goals in six league games. It has scored more than one goal in just one of its 10 games across all competitions.

Credit: MLS

A penalty kick from Atlanta United striker Josef Martinez in the 86th minute earned Atlanta United a 1-1 draw with Seattle.

Eales countered that by rolling through the goals scored by other Eastern Conference teams in league games as evidence that the team’s offense isn’t playing as poorly as it may seem.

Columbus, the defending MLS champ and predicted by many to dominate this season, has five goals. Two came from own goals and three free kicks.
Orlando also has seven goals in its six games.
Philadelphia has six from seven and Nashville, which Atlanta United will host Saturday, seven from six.

“We can improve,” Eales said. “That’s the aim. New coach, a lot of new players, particularly younger players. We will find it’s going to get better and better as they have more time to train and execute.”

As more evidence that improvement is happening, Eales said he is encouraged by the team’s buy-in to Gabriel Heinze’s 90-minute ethos. It overcame a red card in its first game to earn a 1-0 win at Alajuelense in which the team as under siege for the second half, played with just 10 Atlanta United players. It earned the penalty in the final minutes against Seattle.

“The buy in is there,” he said.

So is the core, Eales said. He said that Martinez is going to “get better and better” as he recovers from last year’s season-ending knee injury. Midfielder Santiago Sosa, 22, is “immense.” Midfielder Franco Ibarra, 20, was “tackling in all areas of the pitch,” against Seattle.

“Step back and look at the league, it’s a tough league and gets tougher every year,” Eales said. “What I’m encouraged by is we have the building blocks in place. We know it can get better.”

SOUTHERN FRIED SOCCER

For more content about Atlanta United

Follow me on Twitter @DougRobersonAJC

On Facebook at Atlanta United News Now

Atlanta United coverage on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta United’s 2021 MLS schedule

April 17 Atlanta United 0, Orlando 0

April 24 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 1

May 1 New England 2, Atlanta United 1

May 9 Atlanta United 1, Inter Miami 1,

May 15 Atlanta United 1, Montreal 0

May 23 Atlanta United 1, Seattle 1