Lots of accountability after Atlanta United loses to Nashville

There were lots of hands going up trying to take responsibility for Atlanta United not winning Gonzalo Pineda’s first game as the team’s newest manager.

ExplorePhotos: Atlanta United comes up empty against Nashville

Due to an offense that put just two shots on goal, the team was beaten 2-0 by Nashville on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The defeat snapped its four-game win streak.

Pineda said the loss was on him, referencing a few times in his post-game interviews he needs to do some reflecting and giving better instructions to the players.

“It was disappointing, because I felt like the team tried, and the team played well,” he said. “But, obviously, we need to work on a couple more things in order to get better results. The heart, the passion (and) the attacking-minded style of the players in the times when they tried to take risks in one-versus-one and even sometimes, one against three. That’s what I wanted — a team that is trying to score every time. I’m happy with the effort of the players, but the soccer is on me.”

Centerback Miles Robinson said the loss was on the players.

“He’s obviously a great leader, good guy and a genuine person,” he said of Pineda. “I think today is just about us. He gave us a lot of confidence going into the game, at halftime as well. Just as a player, as a team, I think we need to play better.”

And, Pineda blamed the ball. But not literally.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

“Sometimes the soccer ball, which we all love, is going to be selfish at times,” he said, explaining that it wouldn’t go into the goal.

Because the team won’t play again until it hosts Orlando on Sept. 10, Pineda has time to train most of the team after it takes a few mandated days off, which were required as part of the findings of the MLS investigation into Gabriel Heinze’s training schedule.

“I want to give them a little bit of a break, a mental reflection on things where we can do better, and they will come back,” he said. “We will train hard. We will continue the process of making this franchise a successful one and we focus on the next few games.”

Four players, Miles Robinson, George Bello, Josef Martinez and Ronald Hernandez, won’t be with Atlanta United because they will be with national teams for World Cup qualifying games. Robinson and Bello will be with the U.S. Martinez and Hernandez with Venezuela.

Among the things mentioned by Pineda were finishing drills to improve confidence in front of goal. The team took 10 shots, including seven from inside the penalty box. Luiz Araujo led with five. The most egregious miss was the last shot taken, a missed header by Josef Martinez just yards from goal. After the ball bounced wide, Martinez ripped his jersey in frustration.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Pineda also wants to create some movements around Araujo so that when he goes on a run, he has choices. Araujo went seven-for-seven on successful dribbles Saturday.

The team may also work more on using a 4-2-3-1 formation. Despite not training on it during the week, the team switched to it during the second half against Nashville in an attempt to gain control of the midfield. Pineda said he felt it worked well and was pleased that the players were solving problems within the game and without his help.

But Pineda said he doesn’t have to worry about or manage is the passion of the players, which he values

“I saw the jersey from Josef (Martinez) at the end of the game, and that he had blood on the jersey, and how (Ezequiel) Barco was pressing harder and trying to offer the ball,” he said. “They wanted to win. Those little actions mean something. For me, they mean a lot. Those very attacking-minded players, for me, gave me everything, and that’s all I can ask for. The futbol was there. The passion was there.”

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