When asked during media availability on Tuesday what Atlanta United needs to do to get out of their current rut, midfielder Mateusz Klich put it simply.
They need to score goals.
“We need to convert those chances,” he said. “We create chances every game, and we don’t score enough goals with the players we have.”
Entering Matchday 10, Atlanta United is looking for their first goal in more than 240 minutes of league play, since Miguel Almirón’s penalty kick in the first half against FC Dallas on April 5. But the team’s lack of non-PK goals goes back even further to the March 29 win over New York City FC. Most recently, the team lost to Philadelphia Union 3-0 on the road, the fourth time Atlanta United has been shutout this season.
The chance will come for Jamal Thiaré to end that drought for Atlanta United Saturday. The club will be without leading scorer Emmanuel Latte Lath, who has started all nine of Atlanta United’s matches. The Ivorian received his fifth yellow card of the season against Philadelphia and is suspended for Atlanta’s upcoming road match at Orlando City SC. Latte Lath is still able to train with the group this week, and the team will get him back the following match at home May 3 against Nashville SC.
Thiaré is like Latte Lath in certain aspects of play. Both forwards possess speed and great aerial prowess. Latte Lath can be more pressing and physical, evident during a 1v1 battle with defender Luis Abram on the pitch Tuesday. Thiaré, on the other hand, is a bit more lean and sneaky. The Senegalese striker, listed at six feet, acts as a lurker, stalking defenders and finding the right window to make a run to get behind the opponent’s backline.
“I believe in myself, and I stay positive for this game because it’s most important,” Thiaré said Tuesday.
Thiaré has found success scoring goals in Florida. Four of his eight goals scored last season came in the Sunshine State, including once against Saturday’s opponent Orlando City SC. Of course, the most memorable of these goals was Thiaré’s brace in Fort Lauderdale, which led the way for Atlanta United’s epic and improbable upset in Game 3 of the Round One Best-of-3 playoff series versus Inter Miami CF. That wild night at Chase Stadium, Atlanta United punched its ticket to the knockout stage of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, eliminating the heavily favored Supporters’ Shield champions.
While the team’s most recent trip to Inter&Co Stadium, the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the same playoff run, didn’t yield a goal for Thiaré (he had to leave the game in the first half due to injury), he did score the meeting prior. On Decision Day with their postseason hopes on the line, Thiaré followed up less than 10 minutes after Saba Lobjanidze scored the opener to lead Atlanta United to victory over the Lions in a must-win match.
His minutes have been limited so far this season, with some minor knocks and the addition of Latte Lath as a high-profile designated player signing, but Thiaré has worn the 5-Stripes since 2023 and has chemistry with some current players. Alexey Miranchuk provided the pass that led to Thiaré's second of the night against Miami. Today at training, we watched Brooks Lennon send a pinpoint aerial pass vertically to Thiaré. The striker brought it down with his chest and delivered a right-footed shot off the volley.
“We know this moment is not easy for us, for the team, but we’re staying positive, we’re staying together,” Thiaré said. “We work hard every day, and day after day, if we continue to stay positive together, and try to stay strong, we can have something better in the future.”
Last season was one of the best in Thiaré’s professional career. Finishing with a total of eight goals, including regular season and playoffs, he averaged around 0.47 expected goals per 90 minutes. At one point in the season, that was good enough to rank Thiaré No. 7 in MLS in that category.
He’s shown up in big moments and is a proven goalscorer in a variety of ways, too. He can score directly, as seen in the fast-paced equalizer against New York City FC last season. Thiaré can also be sly and create out of takeaways, as he did with his unbelievable sneaky game-winner that drew the attention of football fans worldwide.
The task of scoring falls on the whole team, but the striker group, including Thiaré and Cayman Togashi behind him, is set on finding the back of the net Saturday.
“We have to score more goals, and that’s for everyone, not just the front four,” Klich said. “We have to score more goals from set pieces because we have good players, good deliveries. In general, we have to be better. It’s just not good enough.”
