As Atlanta United develops deeper knowledge and use of data analytics, we’ll be taking a look behind the curtain at some of the specific stats the club values. In this weekly content series, we examine one metric provided by StatsBomb that may not stand out on a first watch, but upon closer evaluation, is a useful tool to measure the team’s performance. This is Staying on Track presented by MARTA.
Stian Gregersen was the man of the match as Atlanta United came-from-behind to beat Columbus Crew 2-1 Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The center back scored identical headers in the second half to secure his first professional brace and three points for Atlanta against the defending MLS Cup champions.
As good as Gregersen played Saturday night, other players on the pitch drew notice. In the post-match press conference, Joe Patrick of 92.9 The Game and Five Stripe Final asked interim head coach Rob Valentino about another player:
“Speaking of work rate, Saba just doesn’t seem like he stops running,” he said.
The question asked specifically about Atlanta United player Saba Lobjanidze in relation to his time spent at the Euros earlier this summer. The winger represented his home country of Georgia and competed with the men’s national team in the UEFA European Championship that took place in Germany.
The international callup meant Saba missed several weeks away from the club, but in his response, Valentino revealed the winger had a chance to return to his home country and celebrate Georgia’s tournament run. It was the first time the country had ever qualified for the tournament. In their debut, Georgia advanced out of the group stage and upset Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal 2-0 to become one of the best stories of the tournament.
Saba declined the invitation to return to his home country and celebrate. There was a different Georgia he was ready to get back to.
“He’s pretty consistent,” Valentino said. “I don’t see anything different in terms of what he was doing before from the Euros. He’s just excited to be back.”
Saba is quietly building one of most efficient careers in MLS and club history for a winger. He had a banner match Saturday, one that landed him on the bench for MLS Team of the Matchday. He assisted both Gregersen goals – both headers that came off Saba corner kicks. The two assists brought Saba’s season total to seven, which leads the team.
With that, he became the sixth player in club history to have 20 goal contributions (goals + assists) in the first 30 games played for Atlanta United. Lobjanidze joins a very strong group that includes Josef Martínez, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Miguel Almirón, Héctor Villalba and Thiago Almada.
Lobjanidze’s contributions are also high among MLS players at his position. Since joining the league in August 2023, his expected goals and goal contributions rank in the top 15 among wingers.
As Valentino said, Lobjanidze is getting up and down the pitch.
“That position in particular requires a lot of work up and down, and he does the work for the team,” Valentino said.
His work shows up in the advanced stats. Here is how he ranks in 2024 among MLS wingers who have played 720+ minutes:
Advanced Stat | Rank (out of 53) | Value |
|---|---|---|
Distance per 90 minutes | 7th | 10577.4 meters (6.6 miles) |
High speed distance (HSD) per 90 minutes | 2nd | 1689 meters (1.05 miles) |
Sprints per 90 minutes | 4th | 12 |
Sprint Distance per 90 minutes | 3rd | 765.3 meters (0.48 miles) |
Another area where Lobjanidze’s presence can be felt is the attack – and he’s one of the best in MLS for his position. He ranks in the 96th percentile among wingers in the league in touches in the box, which shows that he’s a strong presence in the attack for Atlanta United and has been positioning himself into dangerous areas. That’s a major indicator of how he co-leads the team with goals scored this season (six), tied with striker Daniel Ríos.
“I think he’s got a different energy to him,” Valentino said. “He’s going to be a father soon at some point, so maybe that’s given him some extra energy while he can get some sleep.”
So, next time you’re watching Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium – in the back-to-back home games coming up in the group stage of Leagues Cup – keep an eye on no. 9 in red and black. For just a while, don’t follow the ball and fix your eyes on him just to see how hard he works and how much he runs.
Atlanta United's Data Scientist & Analyst Arjun Balaraman along with Data Engineer Akshay Easwaran. Video by Khoury Kennedy, Atlanta United's Motion Graphics Producer and Video Editor.
