Head coach Ronny Deila is keeping the writers and reporters at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground on their toes. After last week’s special look into a Thursday training session filled with competitive games and relay races, this week proved anything can happen.
Today, the open part of training showed the group go through passing drills, vocalizing and playing the ball off each other with one touch. Then, the session moved into what Brooks Lennon called a more serious part of training, which was closed to reporters.
“We didn’t do any fun drills today,” Lennon confirmed.
While Thursday’s training session looked different from last Thursday, the basis is actually not such a drastic change. Last week in our training report, we cited Deila’s attention to detail and how he approaches what he calls “the total load.” That goes beyond the pitch – what the team is doing in the gym, what they’re doing on the side, etc. The total process.
He said the same thing today, that he’s happy with how he and his coaching staff have planned out the week. It’s opened space to push a little harder Thursday in their preparation, and the overall process is building up fitness and mental toughness six matches into a long regular season.
“We have more control now,” Deila said. “We have talked, we have worked in groups. It’s clear where we want to go and how we want to train the team. We looked fresher in the last second half than we did in the beginning of the season.”
Load management and a second-half comeback
The load certainly helps when you’re coming off a win and arguably the best performance of the season. Atlanta United trailed by two goals in the second half to New York City FC last weekend, and the 5-Stripes ended up winning 4-3.
The comeback was the club’s first win after facing a two-goal deficit since September 2018. Against New York City FC, the second half in particular showed Atlanta’s play moving in a positive direction. In the first matches of the season, Atlanta United gave up goals in the second half, but last Saturday it was the 5-Stripes who were the aggressor in the final 45 minutes.
“This past game, we all would agree we felt physically our best, especially late in the second half,” Lennon said. “We were putting so much pressure on them in the last 20-30 minutes of that game. We’re looking to keep that same energy.”
Deila added the 2-2 draw at FC Cincinnati on March 22 was more evidence of the group improving their performance after halftime. Atlanta United, also trailing in that match, kept attacking and found the equalizer late on a Cincinnati own goal. Combined with the match against New York City FC, Atlanta United has recorded a total of five goals during their last two second halves.
Another contributor that led the second-half rally against New York FC was the tactical switch. Saba Lobjanidze moved from left winger to right, and Miguel Almirón moved centrally to play more of a No. 10 role.
Is that a combination we could see again this upcoming Saturday? Deila played coy to the question:
“We’ll see what the game will bring,” he said.
The next opponent: Luciano Acosta and FC Dallas
Sandwiched in between two Eastern Conference opponents in the homestand for Atlanta United is their first opponent of the season from the West, FC Dallas. And that group features one of the best players in the MLS: Luciano Acosta.
The 2023 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player should be a face familiar to Atlanta United supporters. While Acosta now dresses in red and blue, he joined FCD after spending the previous four seasons at FC Cincinnati. The Argentine was sent to Dallas on a record-breaking trade between the two clubs this offseason.
Since he previously played in the same conference, the Atlanta United veterans know him quite well. Acosta departed FC Cincinnati as the club’s all-time leader in goals and assists. Nine of his 54 goals with the Orange & Blue came against Atlanta United.
“He’s dangerous, so we need to be aware of him at all times,” Lennon said.
“We need him to run after us instead of us running after him,” Deila echoed.
The midfielder has gotten off to a good start in Texas. To no one’s surprise, he leads the squad in scoring with three goals. Just last week, Acosta became the seventh player in MLS history to record at least 75 goals and 75 assists.
Atlanta United will have a challenge Saturday in containing him, but it's a task the lads are ready to take on.
“We have so much talent on the field, we have ways that we can expose them,” Lennon said.
Looking for three points on HBCU Night
Even with a win, an incredible comeback at that, the importance of collecting points has not diminished.
Atlanta’s goal entering this three-match homestand was to make Mercedes-Benz Stadium a fortress and earn nine points. Those three points in the first match gives the group some confidence the rest of the way, especially coming off three second-half goals, including the fifth goal of the season for Emmanuel Latte Lath and the first for Miggy since his return to Atlanta.
“It’s super important to build off that win and second half performance,” Lennon said. “It’s really good to see that we’ve put together a second half performance that the gaffer is really pleased about.”
Saturday’s match will also be a celebration special to the city of Atlanta as the club hosts its annual HBCU Night. If you’ve never been to one before, it’s a fun time you won’t forget. An HBCU drumline will perform on the Front Porch before the match, during halftime and in the Supporters Section throughout the match.
HBCUs will be a large presence throughout the match. Along with the Star-Spangled Banner, the Morehouse Glee Club will also perform ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing.’ Originally written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson, an HBCU alum himself, Lift Every Voice is generally referred to as “The Black National Anthem.”
The fanfare, the celebration, the drums, the energy, the growing performances -- all of it should bring up the levels at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to ‘rock concert’ vibes.
“I cannot remember one team that has outplayed us,” Deila said. “Maybe Miami had more chances than us. Except that, we have been the team. That has to give us confidence. Then, we also know that we have so much to improve, and that gets me excited.”
