Emerson Hyndman and Santiago Sosa agree that their partnership in the middle of Atlanta United’s formation is developing well as the team prepares to take on Seattle in an important MLS game on Sunday.
Seattle is unbeaten through six games and has the most points (13) and goals scored (13), and is tied for fewest goals allowed (2) of the league’s 26 teams. Atlanta United is 2-1-2 with six goals scored and four allowed.
A positive result in Seattle, which may depend upon Hyndman and Sosa controlling the game, would likely assuage concerns about Atlanta United’s offense under new manager Gabriel Heinze. The Five Stripes are averaging a goal a game and have scored more than one goal in just one game.
“We are still technically in the beginning stages of what we are trying to do,” Hyndman said. “I think we are doing numerous things well. Last stage for us is that final third where we get more comfortable.”
Hyndman and Sosa are the pace-setters for Atlanta United. They can either speed the game up by moving the ball vertically, or slow it down by moving the ball side to side or backward.
As noted by Joseph Lowery on MLSsoccer.com, Atlanta United is mostly going sideways and backward with the ball. The team is 22nd in MLS in terms of passes completed per game into the penalty box, have the fifth-fewest goals from open play (4) and the ninth-lowest expected goal average (1.06). As a team, it is second-to-last in passes sent between the lines of an opponent’s formation.
Put it all together, and the team is playing it very conservatively on offense.
“I think at times we are vertical,” Sosa said. “At times we are not. It depends on the moment in the game. It’s also a question of the way the opponent has set up in that game.”
Ironically, playing it safe may be the best way to earn at least a point in Seattle on Sunday. If the Sounders don’t have the ball, they can’t score.
And Atlanta United, with Sosa and Hyndman, lead the league in attempting and completing the most passes in the league on a per-game basis, having the longest possessions by more than two seconds and averaging more passes per possession than any other team in MLS, according to Lowery.
“For me, we try to balance it out, who gets the ball and when,” Hyndman said. “We try to confuse opponents. It’s in the building stages. It’s tough to stop us when build out of the back when we do it right.”
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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 at Seattle, 4:30 p.m., Fox
May 29 vs. Nashville, 3:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 20 vs. Philadelphia, 2 p.m., ESPN
June 23 at NYCFC (at Red Bull Arena), TBD, BSSO/BSSE
June 27 vs. New York Red Bulls, 3:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 3 at Chicago, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 8 at Nashville, 8:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 17 vs. New England, 5 p.m., ESPN
July 21 at Cincinnati, 7 p.m., FS1
July 24 vs. Columbus, 3:30 p.m., ABC
July 30 at Orlando, 8 p.m., ESPN
Aug. 4 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 7 at Columbus, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 15 vs. LAFC, 4 p.m. ESPN
Aug. 18 vs. Toronto, 7 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 21 at D.C. United, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 28 vs. Nashville, 3:30 p.m., Univision
Sept. 10 vs. Orlando, 7 p.m., FS1
Sept. 15 vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 18 vs. D.C. United, 3:30 p.m., Univision
Sept. 25 at Philadelphia,3:30 p.m., Univision
Sept. 29 vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m., FS1
Oct. 2 at Montreal, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 16 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 20 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 27 vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 30 vs. Toronto, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Nov. 3 at New York Red Bulls, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
Nov. 7 at Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
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