Ronny Deila, Brad Guzan talk readiness, season's expectations before home opener

It’s in the air. No, not snow, although that was too Thursday morning. Anticipation. It’s all around Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground and Atlanta, a city united in excitement.

T-minus 72 hours. It’s the day that fans, players and coaches alike have been waiting for ever since early December. The beginning of the 2025 MLS regular season.

Atlanta United trained Thursday in the frigid cold in their second-to-last session before they host CF Montréal Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. After training, Ronny Deila and Brad Guzan spoke about their readiness to get going and expectations for the season:

‘Ready or not, it’s here’

Those were some of the words Guzan used to begin his media availability Thursday. He believes the squad is ready to roll after a preseason that many around the team described as long and intense.

The intensity doesn’t just drop off a cliff now, though. Deila had his players jammed packed in smaller drills again Thursday, putting great importance on their ability to navigate tight spaces and let instincts take over to move the ball.

Saturday is the payoff for all that work, the rush the players get from walking out onto the pitch as 60,000-plus ATLiens cheer them on at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“For us to be able to play it at home in front of a massive crowd, it’s that much more exciting,” Guzan said.

Montréal will bring pace in attack and man pressing, and they will give the 5-Stripes a run for their money just as they did in the Wild Card round last season. When asked how difficult it is to prepare for a team you don’t have any regular season film on, Deila said Montréal will feel the same way about his team and that it’s clear how they play.

Atlanta United’s adaptability, especially over the course of a match, will be tested come Saturday and beyond. If things aren’t working immediately as planned, Deila and his players must show fluidity to earn a result. Now isn’t the time for winning the match before kickoff with superior tactics, and the back 45 minutes should give us great insight into this team’s chances this season.

Deila hasn’t decided on a starting XI yet, but he’s grateful for his options.

“There’s always doubts, because there’s so many that are in good shape,” Deila said. “The [depth] in the squad is very, very good. What it gives me is more about how can we change the game. What kind of scenarios inside the game can happen.”

The reason they’re in shape is the intensity he preached. As time went on in preseason games, Atlanta United stayed golden while opponents sometimes struggled to keep up. Now, will that trend continue when it’s the real deal?

“[We] try to put the focus and the emphasis on ourselves, because we believe in our group,” Guzan said.

Expectations for one of the most anticipated seasons yet

For all the temptation to lean into the predictions and projections, Guzan knows better than to get caught up in it. He knows what matters is internal growth and showing it throughout the full course of the season.

“A lot of that talk and discussion comes from the outside,” Guzan said. “Us as a group, we’re continuing to build. It may not be perfect on Saturday at times, that’s okay. It’s how we get through those moments, throughout the 90 minutes … Ultimately, we want to build and grow as the season goes on.”

Make no mistake, these players and coaches have lofty ambitions.

“I’m expecting something really big,” Saba Lobjanidze said Tuesday. “My minimum is top four. I want to be top four for sure. With this squad, with these players, with this coach. One thing is on paper, [another] is on the pitch. I can say whatever I want, I can say top one. But we have to go on the pitch and show this confidence.”

That aligns with Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson’s vision as he described it during Emmanuel Latte Lath’s introductory press conference Wednesday. As he and his staff were evaluating talent, he said they looked at what the club needed to do to finish top four in its conference.

Deila broke it down by points, goals for and goals conceded, comparing what numbers Atlanta United achieved last season and what they could reasonably expect this time out. You could see just how much he’s poured himself into the club’s recent history in his answer. With that, he said top four would be a good goal.

He also acknowledged the obvious: their goal is to win every trophy possible this season. Fans and pundits alike are pushing that same expectation for 2025, with many wondering if this Atlanta United squad can recapture the vibes and success the 2018 MLS Cup Champions had.

“That’s what 2018 represented,” Guzan said. “That’s ultimately what we want to do. How we get there is going to be a process. It’s not going to happen in week one, it’s not going to happen in week six or whatever … We now need to, as a group, continue to build and grow and learn — individually, collectively, and together with the staff. I think if we do that, then we can have consistent performances week to week that put us in a position to be able to compete for trophies.”