The seasons turned over quickly this week, even by Atlanta’s standards, but as the city welcomed a new taste of colder temperatures and a host of beautiful colors, captured by our talented club photographers Mitch Martin and Madelaina Polk, Atlanta United was hard at work to extend their 2024 season beyond Saturday’s regular season finale.
We’ve arrived at Decision Day, which kicks off Saturday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. For Atlanta United, the match determines whether the club qualifies for the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. With a pivotal matchday ahead, the group was focused at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground.
Training on Thursday began with a team huddle followed by stretches on the field. Fitness coach Jack Kimber then took the team through passing drills. “Nice and clean and to feet,” he instructed from the far side of the pitch before sending players through long sprints.
Homegrown Jay Fortune made a quick turn and drilled a shot into one of three small goals in a short-sided game. Assistant coach Matt Lawrey put the team through a complex drill that encouraged them to find ways to break through. Players made a variety of actions that led to some strong results. Jamal Thiaré lofted a nifty shot with the outside of his foot. Daniel Ríos converted a textbook clean header reminiscent of his goal against CF Montréal.
It wasn’t an easy or light session by any means. Yet, once the whistle blew to signal the end of training, and the team had one more huddle led by interim head coach Rob Valentino, most players stayed behind for extra touches. Some took shots on goal, some made long passes to teammates, some tried out tricks with juggling, some stretched their muscles – whatever might make one of the last training sessions of the year last a little bit longer.
Here are some of the main storylines from Thursday at the Training Ground:
Atlanta United’s possible playoff-clinching scenarios
The No. 1 storyline heading into Atlanta United’s next match is the fact the club has not been eliminated from playoff contention. Decision Day will determine whether or not Atlanta United moves on to the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.
For that, a few things need to happen. First and most importantly, Atlanta United needs to win Saturday on the road at Orlando City SC. Then, Atlanta United will need some help from a few other Eastern Conference clubs.
Atlanta United will qualify for the playoffs with a win PLUS at least two of the following three outcomes:
- A LOSS for CF Montréal at home vs. New York City FC
- A LOSS for D.C. United at home vs. Charlotte FC
- A draw OR loss for Philadelphia Union at home vs. FC Cincinnati
It’ll be tempting to keep an eye on these other three matches – they kick off at the same time as Atlanta’s at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19. However, Atlanta United emphasized throughout the week that they remain focused on their highest priority: beating Orlando.
“I’m only focused on our game, and this is what I can do,” winger Saba Lobjanidze said Thursday. “Other teams, if they lose it and we win, it will be a big gift for us. But honestly, I’m not thinking about it. I just want to win the next game.”
Atlanta United enters Saturday in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, well below the team’s preseason goal of finishing in the top four. While the season has not gone the way the club hoped, the fact there’s a chance for the season to continue is the situation the group has in front of them. And coming off a strong win last time out against New York Red Bulls, the team has vowed to keep fighting, as Valentino explained:
“We’re not in the spot we want to be in, from a club standpoint, from a personal standpoint, all the players in there, this is not the position they want to be in, but it is the position that we are in. So, we’re still fighting to the last day, which has been the mentality that we’ve had ever since we’ve had the chance to take over the group is never giving up and continuing to push for something at the end of it.”
A must-win match against Orlando City SC
No matter what happens in the rest of the conference, Atlanta United will not qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs without a win on Saturday. The club must get three points at Inter&Co Stadium against an Orlando City SC squad that also has something to play for.
The Lions enter Decision Day in fourth place in the conference with 52 points. That fourth-place spot isn’t their guaranteed finish, however. New York City FC sits one spot below with 50 points, and they will certainly be looking to jump Orlando City in the standings with a win and lock up home field advantage in the Eastern Conference.
With home field advantage at stake, Orlando City SC, behind Oscar Pareja in his fifth season at the helm, won’t have a reason to sit back on Saturday.
“They’ve got good players. They’ve got a great way of playing. Oscar’s done a great job of coaching that team,” Valentino said. “They seem to have really hit for him, most years, at the right time. He understands the league and what comes with it. They ride the ebbs and flows of the season and how it goes, then they peak at the right time.”
The last time these two teams met was way back in March on the third matchday of the regular season. Saba was one of the goal scorers, scoring the opener, and Atlanta United went on to shutout Orlando City SC at home 2-0 for the club’s second win of the season.
A lot of time has passed since that first meeting. Both teams have had changing lineups. Valentino is now Atlanta’s interim head coach. The key for Saturday, Saba said adamantly during media availability, is being on the front foot from the opening minute and working hard not to give up any early goals.
“How many games did we concede the goal in the first minutes in the first half? It’s really hard to come back,” Saba said. “Honestly, the most important thing is how we start.”
‘Bringing some joy’ to Apalachee High School
Wednesday’s training had a group of special visitors. Students from Apalachee High School and players from the school's soccer teams attended Atlanta United’s training session. They watched Atlanta United train and afterwards met the players and got their autographs.
Atlanta United joined a host of teams around Atlanta, including the Falcons, that have hosted Apalachee High School in the wake of an unspeakable tragedy the school endured last month. On September 4, a deadly mass shooting occurred at Apalachee High School located in Winder, Georgia. Four people were killed and nine others hospitalized.
At media on Thursday, Valentino spoke poignantly about the visit and what kind of perspective it brought to the team:
“That’s what it’s about. That’s how you continue to be part of this community and lift people up when they’re struggling. There’s nothing we can do to make them feel better, but allowing them to come see the facility, come see training, and be a part of their process of getting back to finding joy in life was really incredible to see their faces and to see how much it meant to them to be around it. There was so much positivity coming from them that was really infectious.”
Atlanta United honored the high school soon after the tragedy at the club’s September 14 match against Nashville SC. A month since then has brought a little more healing and a fresh perspective right as the club approaches its most important match of the season.
“Because we look at the position that we are in, unfortunately, in terms of the standings and where we are and as a club right now, it can be easy to get more doom-and-gloom. But they put a lot of things in perspective for us as people, and that was really infectious,” Valentino said. “I’m really humbled and grateful to be in the position I am right now, to be able to provide joy in the process of how they’re trying to move forward. That was pretty incredible.”
Another ride for Dax McCarty
After training on Thursday, Atlanta United midfielder Dax McCarty shredded his boots and socks, took in a moment on the training pitch as youngsters such as Luke Brennan, Efraín Morales, Nick Firmino, and Tyler Wolff played long and creative balls up and down the pitch.
No matter whether Atlanta United makes the playoffs or not, McCarty’s playing days are soon drawing to a close. The 37-year-old and longtime MLS veteran announced earlier this season that the 2024 season will be his last.
With Atlanta United’s final regular season match arriving this week, the reality of McCarty’s retirement is beginning to set in for his coaches, teammates and peers.
“He’s somebody who’s had a massive impact, not only on this team in the short time he’s had, but also on the league,” Valentino said.
McCarty is originally from Winter Park, Florida, a city just northeast of Orlando. As a high school senior, he earned all-county recognition, which landed him on the cover of the Orlando Sentinel along with ardent Atlanta United supporter and founding member Jenny Meyer, which we documented in our Behind The Stripes story earlier this year.
McCarty’s career in MLS has lasted 19 years, one of the longest in league history. Extending his one season in Atlanta and making a heroic last stand to qualify for the playoffs might be a poetic moment for the veteran.
“There’s something to be said for people like him that have been around the league for as long they have,” Valentino said. “Obviously not the season that I’m sure he wanted, whether it’s personally or even just as a team, but he’ll want to finish on a high, especially going back to Orlando.”
