Matheus Rossetto, who has yet to notch even an assist in 36 appearances with Atlanta United, said Thursday that he wants to help the MLS club by scoring more goals this season.
To be fair, Rossetto typically has been used as a defensive midfielder, which doesn’t give him opportunities to get higher up the field and in positions to even shoot, much less score. He has taken only nine shots since joining the team before the 2020 season.
“I do enjoy taking the ball up on the field,” he said. “Facilitating the play for the players that are higher up the field, again, is something that I want to do more this year playing more vertical passes, playing the ball more forward, joining the attack, get in the box and maybe score some goals.”
Manager Gonzalo Pineda said he wants Rossetto to start using his passing ability and vision to play the ball more vertically, rather than the safer horizontal passes that he typically plays.
But Pineda defended Rossetto’s choices by saying that there must be targets for him to play to, and there must be passing lanes created by teammates stretching the defense by executing the tactics.
“It’s not an individual sport, it’s more of a collective,” he said. “And that’s how we make sure that everybody knows what the rules are in those situations.”
With the team likely switching to playing four defenders at the back, instead of five, but still wanting the fullbacks to run box-to-box, there should be another midfielder in the formation that Rossetto can work off, or interchange with. He may get more opportunities to move up the field.
He laughed when asked if he will be the late runner into the box, ready to pounce on a cut-back cross or loose ball. He said he would be the player arriving for the late tap-in.
To make that happen, Rossetto said he is working hard during the preseason on improving his fitness so that he can get up and down the field to support the attack, and then get back to defend.
“Gonzalo has been preparing those physically, mentally, and technically on the field to get us ready for this year, which will be a long year full of challenges,” Rossetto said. “But we are working hard and getting ready for it.”
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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule
Feb. 27 vs. Sporting KC, 3 p.m., FS1
March 5 at Colorado, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
March 13 vs. Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., FS1
March 19 vs. Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 2 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 9 at Charlotte, 3 p.m., ESPN
April 16 vs. Cincinnati, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
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, 2 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, 4 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
August 6 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., ABC
August 13 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
August 17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
August 21 at Columbus, 6 p.m., FS1
August 28 vs. D.C. United, 4 p.m., UNIV
August 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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