Miles Robinson had a simple message to his teammates after manager Gonzalo Pineda handed him the captain’s armband before Wednesday’s 6-0 win against Chattanooga in the U.S. Open Cup:
“All right, let’s go,” according to teammate Alex de John.
“He’s not a man of many words, but he’s a leader by example. You see him out there. Every single day he fights; he does whatever he needs to do. And you’ve just bought off his energy on the field is confidence.”
Robinson was named captain because the team’s other two captains, Brad Guzan and Josef Martinez, are out with injuries. Guzan is out for the season. Martinez is out for several weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
Pineda said he considered several factors when deciding who would captain the team, including tenure, because he said he wanted the team’s supporters to feel represented, reliability and consistency. Pineda said Robinson’s experience with the U.S. men’s national team during the Gold Cup and the World Cup qualifying games were also factors. Robinson was the team’s first draft pick in 2017.
“Did we explore other options? Yes,” Pineda said. “But we felt that, especially for the connection that he has with the fans and the amount of time he’s been in the club. It was very important that he was a captain.”
Pineda said Guzan also will remain a captain in the locker room to make sure the culture remains correct.
“Leadership is something that you don’t need to wear a sign or something to impact ... the team,” Pineda said. “So I feel like I have so many different types of leaders, and anyone can wear the armband.”
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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule
Feb. 27 Atlanta United 3, Sporting KC 1
March 5 Colorado 3, Atlanta United 0
March 13 Atlanta United 2, Charlotte 1
March 19 Atlanta United 3, Montreal 3
April 2 Atlanta United 1, D.C. United 0
April 10 Charlotte 1, Atlanta United 0
April 16 Atlanta United 0, Cincinnati 0
April 24 at Miami, 1 p.m., ESPN
April 30 at Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 7 vs. Chicago, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 15 vs. New England, 1:30 p.m., ESPN
May 21 at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. FOX
May 28 vs. Columbus Crew, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 19 vs. Miami, 3 p.m., ESPN2
June 25 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 30 at New York Red Bulls, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 3 at NYCFC, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 9 vs. Austin, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 13 vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 17 vs. Orlando, 3 p.m., ABC
July 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 9:30 p.m., FS1
July 30 at Chicago, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 6 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., ABC
Aug. 13 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 21 at Columbus, 6 p.m., FS1
Aug. 28 vs. D.C. United, 4 p.m., UNIV
Aug. 31 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 at Portland, 5:30 p.m., FOX
Sept. 10 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 14 at Orlando, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 17 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 1 at New England, 1 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 9 vs. NYCFC, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
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