The applause at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was about resounding as Brad Guzan predicted.
Last week, a reporter asked Guzan how loud he expected the welcome to be when Miguel Almirón returned to the pitch.
(And the noise-level can certainly get loud when making your return in front of the third-largest crowd in the soccer world.)
“It puts a smile on my face because he certainly deserves the reception that I know he's going to get,” Guzan said after training February 20. “I know he's excited, not only for that moment, but he's excited to be back and be able to represent this club again. It’s going to be an exciting moment for everyone.”
It’s no surprise Guzan knew what to expect better than anyone. He and Almirón are the only active Atlanta United players part of the club’s championship run in 2018. The win over Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup at the same venue as Almirón’s anticipated return is the reason Atlanta United proudly has a star above the crest.
The Atlanta United that Almirón joins this season looks a little different than when he left to play overseas in England. Atlanta United has all new players compared to when he was here previously, plus a new head coach in Ronny Deila. Club president & CEO Garth Lagerwey, who arrived in 2022, and chief soccer officer & sporting director Chris Henderson, hired this offseason, now lead the front office.
As much as some aspects about the club have changed, a lot has stayed the same when it comes to Almirón. Anyone who watched him Saturday night in the team’s home opener can attest to it.
He’s still the same happy guy, always smiling, who loves to play football, a quality Henderson alludes to in the season premiere of Atlanta United’s video documentary Rooted In The Stripes. On the pitch, Almirón still flies around the field like he did in 2017 and 2018, his first seasons with the club. He’s still great on the ball, creative in setting up teammates, and taking touches that either freeze defenders or force them to foul.
On Saturday, Almirón played a significant role in Atlanta’s 3-2 win over CF Montréal in the season opener. The winger recorded the 50th goal contribution in his MLS regular season career, an assist which came on Edwin Mosquera’s game-winning golazo. Almirón also played the header on frame that leapt out of the reach of Montréal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois and fell to the feet of Latte Lath for the tap-in, the forward’s second goal of the night.
Almirón stayed on the pitch more than 90 minutes, a level he isn’t used to, Deila reported in his post-match press conference. And when No. 10 was subbed off in the final moments of stoppage time, once Atlanta United scored the go-ahead goal, he left to thunderous applause and gave some affection back to the city that loves and appreciates him.
“Trato de dar siempre lo mejor de mí,” Almirón said after the match. “Hoy la verdad es que me sentí muy feliz de volver a Atlanta, hace mucho que no sentí lo que sentí hoy. Así creo que eso me da más energía y yo también aprendo mucho de mis compañeros y ellos me ayudan mucho dentro del campo de juego para que y tenga ese nivel.”
“I always try to give my best. Today, it felt really good to play here. I'm really happy to come back and play here in Atlanta. It has been a while since I had feelings like I did tonight.”
Perhaps one of the most significant aspects that has changed since Almirón’s previous stint in Atlanta is his growing family. His son, Francesco, walked hand-in-hand with Almirón through the Delta Club tunnel onto the pitch for introductions prior to kickoff.
(And the greeting for his father was so loud, little Francesco had to cover his ears.)
Almirón’s wife and son were present at his introductory press conference on February 1. On that day, Miggy spoke about what it means to return to Atlanta with his family, to share this experience with them and have them be part of the city alongside him.
Saturday was a homecoming for Almirón, and it was also a special moment where he got to introduce Atlanta to his son, as he described after the match in Spanish:
“Un sentimiento de alegría, de felicidad de que con mi familia. Sienta también eso más que nada ganar el partido que lo importante porque al final creo que la gente viene a ver eso a exigir eso a nosotros que estamos en el campo.”
“[It’s a] feeling of mostly joy, happiness. Also just being able to share with my family, who's also here, and to win the first game. It's good for the fans, for them to experience that as well because we know that that there's high demands on us.”
Spanish edited by Joe Freihofer, Adam Jasper
