Between offseason and an injury setback, it’s been a long time off the field for new Atlanta United fullback Franco Escobar. So an unfamiliar feeling set in when he made his debut on Wednesday.
“I was a little anxious, a little nervous to be out there with the team for the first time,” he said Friday through a translator.
That’s not to say he’s a tentative player. His hard-nosed, decisive defending was one of the reasons the Atlanta United front office pursued the Argentine defender this offseason. So why the jitters?
“Unfortunately I suffered a minor injury in the middle of preseason so I missed the previous friendlies. But I was really excited to get out there, I went out really pumped, with a lot of desire to be able to play, going really fast. And fortunately I didn’t re-aggravate my injury.”
Getting those first minutes under your belt after an injury layoff is a key stepping stone, overcoming what can be a mental block for some players. And while there’s always an adjustment to joining a new team, his background should help ease his transition.
“I already knew about the system before, we played a similar system at Newell’s,” he says. “But being here, I’m learning new things from Tata and just trying to adapt to the system as best as I can while learning from my teammates.”
So what can Atlanta United fans expect from the new #2?
“What stood out to me was his toughness and his versatility,” said VP & Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra earlier this year. “He’s capable of playing anywhere on the back line. As a former defender myself, what I liked is he had the true defender instincts. He was hard in the tackle, he’s not afraid to put his head in there. He competes and challenges, but then he also has good technique with his feet.”
With those first first-team minutes under his belt, Escobar is ready to build on Wednesday’s shortened performance with a longer cameo. And with Head Coach Tata Martino hinting earlier this week that Escobar could feature in the starting XI, Saturday will be a key moment in his preseason.
“I’m going to try to take advantage of these minutes and enter the game more calmly than before,” Escobar says. "Just try to enjoy the minutes and just try to get back the rhythm that I’ve been missing, the rhythm of playing in a game and being in the starting XI. So I’m just going to try to take advantage of it.”
And with his eyes firmly focused on the start of the MLS regular season, he says he can’t wait to get back between the lines against Charleston on Saturday.
“I’m just really excited to be out there with the team.”
Escobar and his teammates wrap up their preseason training camp with one final friendly at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday against the Charleston Battery. Then the Five Stripes will head to Houston next week to face the Houston Dynamo in their MLS opener before returning to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for their 2018 home debut on March 11th against D.C. United. Tickets to that match are still available, make sure you’re there to cheer on their return by getting your tickets here.
