“It’s a final. Who doesn’t want to be in a final to win a trophy?”
The words came almost with a shrug from Julian Gressel as he spoke with media at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground this week. It’s clear he and his teammates know this is week’s game, in which they could clinch the Supporters’ Shield with a win over Toronto, is a big one. But more than nerves, there’s an excitement among the squad. And he shrugged off the talk of the increased pressure; with the team holding onto a slim lead in the race all year long, this is nothing new.
“Last week was pretty high-pressure as well against Chicago, because if we lose the game then we’re out of the lead for the Supporters’ Shield, too,” he said. “But it’s about getting accustomed to the situation and getting your emotions and feelings in check.”
“Every time you have an opportunity to win a trophy it’s special,” head coach Tata Martino said, through a translator. “In this case it would be the first trophy in the club’s history so that’s special as well.”
So there’s an awareness of the magnitude of the situation, but they aren’t letting the pressure mount. This team is conditioned to expect to win every week, so needing three points is nothing new.
“We definitely know how big this game is,” said Andrew Carleton, “but I don’t think it’s changed anything we’ve done this week. We’ve still got the same attitude, same focus level. We’re just going to go up there and give it our all. As far as our mood this week, nothing has changed.”
Their opponent is a team that has gone toe-to-toe with the Five Stripes in every meeting so far, a Toronto FC side they have tied 2-2 every match. Despite Toronto having a disappointing year that has left them out of the playoff race, they’re a team that Atlanta United knows well and knows will pose a tough challenge, no matter how their season has gone so far.
“They’re a good team,” said Chris McCann. “They’re a strong side that have good individual players all over the field and Giovinco can turn the game on its head by himself. Their league form and position don’t suggest what a good side they are, but if you look at the past few years we know they’re a strong side. But we’re going up there with something to play for and hopefully we can make it happen.”
But while the team is aware of the challenge their opponent presents, they’re focused as ever on what they control. That does not include what’s happening in New York, where their closest competition –– the New York Red Bulls –– will be playing at the same time. So they won’t be worrying about the different scenarios and what they mean for the Supporters’ Shield. They know one thing: win and they get their first trophy. That’s what they control, so they need to make sure that happens.
“We can’t worry about anything else because we have it in our own hands,” Gressel said. “That’s the situation we’re in. 90 minutes for a trophy. 3 points for our first hardware, that’s really all I want. I want to win anyway, whether it’s for a trophy or not, so it doesn’t change much in that sense, but there’s that little bit extra at stake. We’ve learned things from those kind of games, so we’ll be ready when the whistle blows.”
And if they do it, they know it will be just reward for everyone involved with the club.
“It’ll be good for the players for all the work we’ve put in, but it will also be good for the club, and the manager,” Leandro González Pirez said through a translator. “And we appreciate the support of the fans, so we want to win the Supporters’ Shield and the championship to give them the joy they deserve for this season.”
But they’re not focusing on celebration yet. There’s still work to be done.
“This is what everybody plays for,” Gressel said. This is what we wanted at the beginning of the year. So we’ll go out and play it as a final, we’ll play 90 minutes for a trophy. I’m excited for it and I’m sure everyone else is as well.”
