Finding the motivation to play NYCFC was easy for Atlanta United’s players.
Finding the motivation to play the Los Angeles Galaxy also wasn’t difficult.
They are, according to Five Stripes captain Michael Parkhurst, two of the big clubs in MLS.
If Atlanta United can find the same motivation to play Montreal, which Atlanta United will host at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and which is a team that Parkhurst said “we should beat and we all know that,” then they will be able to check off another box on a list that can separate the pretenders from the contenders.
“If we are able to bring that same intensity and same focus for 90 minutes and bury a team that we should bury -- it’s MLS, and it never goes as it should -- that’ll be a really good test for us,” Parkhurst said.
Atlanta United is unbeaten in its past six matches and arguably the best team in MLS, though the season is just slightly more than 20 percent done and the team still has 27 games remaining.
The team is coming off its best performance at home in a 2-2 draw against NYCFC and on the road with a 2-0 win against the Galaxy.
Maintaining the intensity has shown going back to its 1-0 win at Minnesota United four games ago will be very important, particularly when there are still so many games remaining.
“We need to consistently perform at those levels that we have the past two weeks,” wingback Julian Gressel said.
Parkhurst said that manager Gerardo Martino talks with the team every week about maintaining its intensity. That was an issue last year and one of the factors that caused the team to miss out on the second seed in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs.
The team was beaten three times by D.C. United, which arguably was the worst team in the league last sesaon, and at home by Minnesota United near the end of the season.
Showing that it has learned some lessons, Atlanta United already has beaten D.C. United once this season, and defeated the Loons 1-0 in frigid conditions in Minneapolis.
It must continue those types of performances against Montreal, which is tied for league lead in goals allowed (17).
“You can’t slip up on these types of games if you want to make a run at the Supporter’s Shield, if you want to put yourself in a good position come playoff time,” Parkhurst said.
Fullback Chris McCann said improving is about looking at the small details, which affect the big details such such as stopping counter-attacks and taking advantage of goal-scoring chances.
“You never get a perfect game,” he said. “It’s down to trying to make as little errors as you can in a game.”
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