We’re eight matches into the regular season. Atlanta United sits one win away from a .500 record with a total of nine points in the Eastern Conference table.
To put it plainly, that's not where Atlanta United expected nor wanted to be, even this early in the 2025 campaign, especially after finishing a three-match homestand. Atlanta United came away with four points from that three-match series and now head into back-to-back matches on the road.
There's a dose of ‘healthy frustration,’ but no one at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground is panicking. There are areas to improve, but also Atlanta United has shown glimpses of their potential. With 26 regular season matches still to play, plus a Leagues Cup tournament to compete in, there’s still a lot ahead for Atlanta United in 2025.
“Tenemos que ser más compactos y tenemos que ser más fuertes defensivamente. Y eso empieza en el ataque. Esa temporada es muy larga y creo que estamos mejorando poco a poco.”
“We have to be compact and stronger defensively, but that starts with the attack,” Miguel Almirón said during media availability on Thursday. “The season is very long, and we’re working on those things.”
Dealing with setbacks, sticking together and finding what clicks
Earlier this week, our own Adam Jasper wrote about the healthy frustrations the team showed during Tuesday’s training. It’s understandable that the team might have some pent-up frustration. Atlanta United came away with just four points during a three-match homestand, missing out on a possible nine. After the most recent match, a 1-0 loss to New England Revolution, head coach Ronny Deila said his team deserved better than zero goals.
On Thursday, the gaffer said he felt encouraged when he heard what Bartosz Slisz said earlier this week about the team being “too nice.” Deila said that sentiment didn’t come from him, so he was encouraged that the players came up with that on their own. In the manager's view, the team needs to be a little more demanding of each other but also a little more supporting, to be better and earn the points they deserve.
“There’s no way it goes like this all the time,” Deila said. “You get setbacks, especially the first year. It’s like that in some first years in my life. It’s now about keeping us together, believing in what we’re doing and learning through our experiences, so we get better and better. It’s also getting things that will click.”
Getting things to click almost seems like a matter of time. We’ve seen the level of talent on this roster for Atlanta United. The team had all three of their designated players in their starting XI in the loss to New England. Those three – Emmanuel Latte Lath, Alexey Miranchuk, and Almirón – all have European-soccer pedigrees and immense talent to play beautiful ball.
“It’s many good players. It’s about who clicks best together. That’s the main thing,” Deila said. “That’s learning through experience. We have done that so far. We see things that work and things that need a bit better, and that’s what you address all the time. We know where we want [to be] and we will get there.”
Making the most out of their chances
We’ve talked plenty about what style Deila wants his team to play. It’s the bread and butter of Atlanta United soccer: attack-minded, fast. Being as high as possible on the pitch, as often as possible. Breaking lines, playing directly.
“We want to play open and play attacking, good football,” he said.
But as much as Deila has been harping on those points, it’s critical for him that the players feel that as well.
“They have to feel ownership,” he said. “Our style of play is not Ronny Deila’s style of play. It’s our style of play, Atlanta United’s style of play. When everybody is pushing that line, then everything will go quicker, and that will come. I’m 100 percent sure of it.”
To play attack-minded football, Atlanta United must create chances. Deila is encouraged by the fact that his squad is doing that -- putting the ball into dangerous areas and taking shots. Entering Matchday 9, Atlanta United ranks 10th in MLS in expected goals and ninth in shots taken, per MLSSoccer.com.
But the head coach knows in the end it’s about scoring, not only chances. Atlanta United is fresh off being shutout against New England at home. The group has scored just once, on a PK, in the last 180 minutes of play.
The team needs to find ways to score and break that drought. How and when don’t matter, just getting the ball in the back of the net does.
“I believe to win something you need to attack,” Deila said. “You don’t win anything to defend. You can keep yourself not relegating to defend. You need to attack. Then, you need to take some chances.”
The roles of wingers and midfielders in Deila's picture
Deila addressed a few specific positions Thursday. First, midfielders.
When asked what he wants out his midfielders, the head coach answered with a few important qualities: an unbelievable work rate, winning balls all over the place, a fantastic attitude.
“What we need more from the midfielders that I know is scanning, opening their body, timing with the mid-center defenders so we can break lines," he said. "When you do that, you can break lines and play forward, so we get Alexey more on the ball, Miggy more on the ball, Saba more on the ball, all these guys.”
The expectations Deila has put on these midfielders may still be new to them. For some, this has been the third system that they’ve played under while in Atlanta. And each head coach under that system has asked for something different.
He called that a little bit scary, saying that it’s led to some mistakes, but he doesn't mind mistakes. That's the only way to move forward and get better.
The second position he addressed Thursday was winger. When asked about that group, Deila was just as straightforward.
“Score goals,” he said. “Attacking the space, get in the box, react, win the ball back again. They have to incorporate with the fullback. They have to have legs, and they have to run. That’s the main thing. And they have to be effective.”
What Deila is looking for is the right combination of players – or for the same players to reach a better level of understanding. Anticipating each other’s runs, understanding where each other is going to be, pushing each other higher up the pitch.
Understanding Deila’s methodologies is key because that is what is going to get Atlanta United playing the best kind of soccer they can play.
“These are top athletes, top teams that we meet all over the world of football,” Deila said. “Going forward, you need to be able to receive and do something with the information you get. Those who do that best, those will be the ones that push Atlanta to where they should be.”
Bringing out the best in Miggy
One of those wingers/midfielders for Deila has been designated player and Paraguay international Miguel Almirón. The high-profile signing has been one of the more consistent pieces for Atlanta United, starting all but one match so far this season. He’s caught fire recently, scoring in two of the team’s most recent three matches and nearly capitalizing on an incredible scissor kick last weekend against New England.
Almirón is such a talent he can play multiple positions. He started off on the wing and also played at the No. 10 position. Both have yielded different results.
In the center, he tends to attack the box more, and he creates even more chances for himself and others. That’s what he needs to do from the wing, as well, Deila says.
Deila adds that when Almirón plays winger, he’s one of the best wingers in the league. He’s able to utilize his 1v1 skills and create opportunities for assists. He also has the tendency to drift centrally, sometimes a little too much, which leaves the space open on the flank and clogs the middle.
“He does it because he wants to help the team, but I think he needs to be a little more patient,” Deila said.
Miggy always wants to do what’s best for the team, but Deila wants him to learn to build trust with his teammates and know that they are going to find ways to get him the ball.
“Tengo que sacar lo mejor de mis compañeros, así como también tienen que sacar lo mejor de mí.”
“I have to get the best out of my teammates, and my teammates have to get the best out of me,” Almirón said. “We have a good group, very good players. There’s a reason that they’re all here, so we have to be patient. We have to keep going.”
Building a resilient team and showing that fighting spirit
Coming off a draw and a loss, Atlanta United wants to start stringing together some results, which may have to start away from Atlanta.
The 5-Stripes have two back-to-back away matches coming up — first, at Subaru Park to face Philadelphia Union on Saturday, then for a rematch of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Orlando City SC on April 26.
It’s difficult to win on the road in MLS, but if Atlanta United wants to keep its hopes alive of finishing in the top-four this season, the club will likely need to steal points away at some point.
“We need to have to connect now and really show the togetherness and that fighting spirit to the end and deal with suffering together,” Deila said. “We have done periods of that, but we need to do that five percent more to get that ball into the net, and at the same time, also don’t give away easy things.”
The time spent together on these two away trips can help the team get to know each other better. Time at the hotel, having meals together, on the plane – all of it is quality time that the group will use to blend that connectiveness and create a spirit of togetherness like a family.
“We need a resilient team,” Deila said. “We need a team that is standing together and put the team in front of themselves all the time. If that is good, then one day we’re going to be fine, I’m sure.”
