Gonzalo Pineda impresses Atlanta United’s players

Atlanta United’s players aren’t yet quite sure how manager Gonzalo Pineda will help them when he takes over the team Thursday, but they know that based upon his history as a player and assistant manager in MLS, good things should happen.

Pineda, who was introduced Thursday, joins Atlanta United after helping Seattle appear in three MLS Cups, winning one, since he joined that club as an assistant in 2017. Pineda professionally in Mexico from 2003-13 before he played for Seattle from 2014-15.

“When you have someone that’s one, played in the league, but then obviously been involved with the coaching staff within the league, a team that’s been successful, you know, that can only help us,” goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. “You know, I think when you look at our league compared to other leagues around the world, it has a uniqueness to it that you have to be able to wrap your head around, and you have to be able to understand the intricacies of Major League Soccer.”

Those intricacies, noted by President Darren Eales on Thursday, include the salary cap and budget, which greatly affects how players can be acquired. Among others are the travel, the weather, the stadiums and fields.

Previous Atlanta United managers Gerardo Martino and Frank de Boer helmed the Five Stripes with no previous MLS experience. Each won trophies. The third, Gabriel Heinze, also had no MLS experience, and he failed. He lasted only 13 games, winning two, before he was fired in July.

Pineda’s experience as a coach at Seattle included developing tactics for all of the positions, as well as using analytics and game-modeling.

“First of all, we are continuing to work because he’s not here already,” striker Josef Martinez said of Pineda. “But in Seattle, he played or he helped a lot. So there’s something special, I think, he brings here.”

Unlike Heinze, who went weeks before meeting others within Atlanta United, Pineda already has started to try to connect not only with the players but the team’s other departments with 15-minute Zoom meetings.

Guzan said the meeting with the players was more of a meet and greet. The players learned a little bit about what Pineda wants to do tactically, which he said Thursday was to play attacking football the way that Atlanta United once did under Martino and has started to do again under Valentino. Pineda said the players shared that they want to make the playoffs. The team is in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and is six points behind the seventh and final playoff spot in the East.

However, the team is 1-2-2 under Valentino. It has scored eight goals in those five games. It scored 13 in 13 games under Heinze.

Valentino said he and Pineda have been constantly communicating about lineups and personnel ahead of Sunday’s game against LAFC with the understanding to keep things as they have been the past few games. Pineda will not be at the game because he recently tested positive for COVID-19.

“The change that’s coming is not going to be a big change, in my opinion,” Valentino said. “I think yesterday, everyone got to see the type of person that we’re bringing into the building, and I think that is a really positive influence on the group.”

Even through a video screen, Valentino said Pineda’s personality has a gravity that draws people in.

“He’s very respectful of the situation that he’s coming into, respectful of the staff, and I want him to feel welcome,” Valentino said. “We want him to feel, ‘Hey, this is this is going to be yours now and ours, and we take it together.’”

Southern Fried Soccer

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