Atlanta United is going back on the road for their next two matches. On Wednesday, June 19, they will take on a Christian Benteke-led D.C United team. After that they travel to CITYPARK Stadium to face St. Louis CITY SC for the first time this season.
Atlanta United is coming off a 2-2 draw against Houston Dynamo FC. The home match was the first time the two clubs played each other since 2019. Despite the tying goal from Houston that came in the dying minute of regulation, Atlanta feels as if there are good things to take from the match. Goals from Daniel Rios and Xande Silva, along with the impressive play of homegrown Luke Brennan, showed first-hand the depth that Atlanta United has, especially with lineup changes due to international call ups.
Xande Silva and interim head coach Rob Valentino spoke to local media on Tuesday to talk about preparations for the busy week ahead.
Xande Silva
The Portuguese midfielder scored the second goal for the 5-Stripes against Houston. A perfectly placed shot that landed just over Houston keeper Steve Clark and in the right corner of the net. Silva also scored against Charlotte FC back on June 2. There was a lull in goal scoring for the 5-Stripes, but they have managed to get the ball into the back of the net seven times over the past three matches.
The 5-Stripes staying hot offensively will help against a struggling D.C. club that has not won a match since coming into Mercedes-Benz Stadium back in May. A hat trick from Christian Benteke led to a 3-2 win for D.C. over the 5-Stripes. Much of the preparation for the match is correcting some of the mistakes seen earlier.
“We always learn after games, even if you win,” said Silva. “We lost that game, so we had a lot of things to improve on.”
A player like Silva has managed to step up during this time. With injuries, as well as players away for the June FIFA international window, it is all hands on deck as their depth is tested. Players like Bartosz Slisz and Saba Lobjanidze are away representing their respective home countries in the UEFA EURO 2024.
“We need to focus on what we have,” said Silva. “That is the rules, and they went to play with their national teams. So, you need play with what you have, and we have good players."
Rob Valentino
To begin his availability, Valentino provided a run-down of the possible status of several players. Edwin Mosquera was subbed out of the match on Saturday due to injury; Valentino said he was still being evaluated. On a brighter note, both Stian Gregersen and Tyler Wolff participated in practice Monday. Their availability will be confirmed once the club releases their availability report.
Along with turning the page on the first half of the season comes changes to the lineup. On Sunday, Atlanta United announced the transfer of forward Giorgos Giakoumakis to Cruz Azul of Liga MX. Valentino said that Giakouamkis “made him a better coach in a lot of ways” and that move can be “beneficial to both sides.” Despite this roster change, the energy around the team is optimistic as Valentino preaches the importance of staying in the moment.
“In reality, what I talked about last week was that is the past,” said Valentino. “We obviously did our evaluation and not we have moved forward. It is about how we can progress and get better. So, in that sense, it’s been about game one of Houston, and we have talked about being present. We are going to keep pushing forward on how we can continue to get better and get the outcomes we want.”
One outcome they look to achieve in the early future is getting three points on the road against D.C. Though Benteke proved to be the formidable scorer MLS fans know him to be against Atlanta, Valentino expressed the game plan for the match on Wednesday will be built just around the Belgian striker.
“They played to his strengths,” said Valentino. “We’re going to come up with a specific game plan for their team. Look at Miami, they have multiple fantastic players, but if you game plan for one person somebody else hurts you. And I think you can’t disrespect opponent like that and just say it is about one player.”
The 5-Stripes won their last road match – a strong 3-1 victory over Inter Miami FC. They hope to continue that streak this week. Fans can tune in for both away matches through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Listen on local radio 92.9 The Game and La Mejor.
