Atlanta United returned to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground this week after their first road trip of the season, and even under grey skies and sprinkling rain, they were happy to be home.
After a tough away match at regional rival Charlotte FC, Atlanta United now hosts five of their next six matches at home, where they have earned a result 78% of the time.
It’s a good time to watch some ‘exciting football’, as Derrick Williams put it last week, and a great chance for the 5-Stripes to accumulate some points in the table.
“This is our stadium, our home, and we have to show them that they’re not going to do anything on our pitch,” midfielder Bartosz Slisz said.
Bringing more focus to the second half
Slisz was the first man out of the locker room Tuesday, adjusting his training top as one of the few to begin the session wearing short sleeves. It was chilly and cloudy in Marietta, so to get loose, Slisz juggled on an empty field mapped out with cones. Homegrowns Will Reilly and Noah Cobb joined him soon after that, the three of them passing a ball in a tight space.
Early in the season, Atlanta United is searching for consistency. The team has earned two different results – a thrilling win at home against CF Montréal and a loss on the road at Charlotte FC, but the matches played out in similar ways. Both times, Atlanta United had a clean sheet going after the first 45 minutes, then conceded right after the halftime break.
Putting together a full 90 minutes and not letting down the intensity in the second half is an area where Atlanta United wants to improve.
“I hope in the next game we’re going to change it – no, we have to change it, because we cannot play two different halves,” Slisz said.
That requires improvement on the defensive side, specifically in transition. In Atlanta United’s most recent match, Charlotte FC scored twice off a long ball. In those situations, Atlanta’s backline scrambled to organize and pick up their marks.
“We need more focus from the beginning of the second half. We have to keep working about this because we have to improve,” Slisz said.
“We have a good group, we just need to stay consistent throughout the full game,” defender Matt Edwards echoed. “There are a lot of things we have to work on, but a lot of positives that we’ve taken away out of the first two games. As a group, we’re growing every day.”
Learning from Charlotte, and 'big potential’ for Matt Edwards
Edwards has started every match for Atlanta United this season, the first of his MLS career. While there are areas for growth, his coaches and teammates have complimented the progression of the 22-year-old Homegrown fullback.
“I appreciate his job on the field,” Slisz said about his teammate. “I like to play with him because he’s very aggressive on the pitch, good with pressing, good on the ball. He’s a young player, but I see big potential.”
This past weekend, Edwards went up against one of the biggest signings of the offseason. Wilfried Zaha joined MLS after more than 400 appearances at Crystal Palace in the English Premier League. The assignment was a challenge for Edwards, but one he appreciated and learned from. In fact, he wanted the matchup against Zaha because he knew how much it would help him improve as a player.
“He’s been in the top leagues, he’s played against the best, so that’s the best way I can improve is to go up against the best players,” Edwards said.
On the pitch, Edwards appeared to frustrate the Charlotte FC winger at times, including once when Zaha shoved the Atlanta United defender in the back.
“It was one of those games where he was getting frustrated, so he let out the frustration. I had to make sure he knew I wasn’t just a kid,” Edwards said.
Intense training sessions, like the one Atlanta United held Tuesday, have helped Edwards prepare for those types of matchups. He defends talented attackers every day on the pitch. On Tuesday, he was going head-to-head with one of the hardest-working players in Saba Lobjanidze.
“MLS is a lot faster and better players,” he said. “They recognize spaces quicker, and they try to attack you faster.”
Potential reinforcements for the next home match
New York Red Bulls, who come to town this weekend, have historically been a challenge for Atlanta United. The 5-Stripes own a 3-10-5 all-time record against New York Red Bulls in MLS play, and the high pressure that defines Red Bulls' style requires detailed preparation.
The most recent meeting between the two clubs on October 5, 2024 will be one that Atlanta United wants to replicate. Alexey Miranchuk netted a goal and recorded an assist on the game-winner in second-half stoppage time to lead Atlanta United to a 2-1 victory. That win late in the regular season kept Atlanta United in the postseason hunt and paved the way for Atlanta’s run in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
And that was a good team that Atlanta United beat last year. New York Red Bulls made it all the way to the MLS Cup Final, beginning their run with a Round One win over defending champions Columbus Crew. They eventually lost to L.A. Galaxy.
So far in 2025, the reigning Eastern Conference champions have the same record as Atlanta United – one win, one loss heading into Matchday 3.
“They’re a very direct team, so us just staying compact and winning first and second balls, being good in the air, those are the biggest things we need to focus on this week,” Edwards said.
Winning duels will be important Saturday, which we saw during training with goalkeeper Brad Guzan urging his group to be ready to win second balls. Two players who could help there are Pedro Amador and Brooks Lennon, two difference makers for Atlanta United last year who have yet to make their 2025 debuts. Lennon started 33 matches for Atlanta United in 2024 and led the team in playing time, accruing nearly 3,000 minutes in the regular season. Amador, the late summer signing, made an immediate impact, finishing with eight assists in 14 appearances, including regular season and playoffs.
Those two players began the season injured but were both out training with the team Tuesday. In the 11v11 competitive games, Lennon sprinted up and down the flank asking for the ball and adding his voice to the mix. Amador assisted Cayman Togashi’s firm header for a goal.
"We have to adapt a bit [against Red Bulls],” Slisz said. “It will be really important, the first and second balls, so we’re going to focus on those things. But also we have to keep our game, keep our structure, be together, and just play soccer.”
