No matter the location on the pitch, each of Atlanta United’s starting eleven plays a crucial role over the full 90 minutes. While the attacking players usually receive the most attention for their role in the goal scoring, it’s the back line who is called upon to protect and defend the most vulnerable area on the pitch.
Tata Martino’s consistent back four has included team captain Michael Parkhurst, Tyrone Mears, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and Greg Garza: a group of players from all different walks of life and their careers that have come together to form a resilient bond in just a matter of months. Mears, a league veteran, said this week, “You struggle in MLS because you spend a lot of money on attacking players so there is automatic quality there, it’s a bit harder for clubs when selecting defenders that have good quality, but our back line is very good here.”
Eleven matches into the season now, Atlanta United’s back line is continuing to adjust to one another both on and off the pitch. Parkhurst, another veteran drafted more than a decade ago, is impressed with the progress, “For where we are in the season, we have made great strides. We are not a finished product at all, we are still talking to each other on comfort level, different plays and what we expect from one another. And as each game goes by we get more comfortable with the system; the potential is there to be a very strong back line in this league and one of the keys to the team.”
Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, on the other hand, is a newcomer to MLS. When asked about the challenges in playing with a newly formed defense, he said, “The most difficult part is controlling the back line and preventing off-sides. Because the four of us have to coordinate together, not having been together so long could cause a problem here, but little by little we are correcting and progressing between the four of us.”
As a new expansion club in Major League Soccer, Atlanta United has already exceeded many expectations from a league-leading goal tally to record ticket sales. But like any sport, the more time a team is able to play together, the more polished the side and the better the results. Atlanta United defender Greg Garza expressed little concern for the team’s short time together, “When you put four guys together that have never been together before, and having only been together four to five months, we’ve held it down. Defense is one of the most important things in this game, and I think we have done really well compared to other teams who have been together for years.”
Major League Soccer critics may put pressure on the newcomers to produce results, but there is no need because they already put enough pressure on themselves according to Parkhurst. “We know when we’ve played a good game and we know when mistakes happen (especially as a defender, its glaring) but we will never make excuses. The back line has confidence when they step on the pitch in both themselves and their teammates,” Parkhurst continued. “We think we can go out there and do well enough to get results and we are always striving for perfection.”
It is important for any team to build relationships both on and off the pitch, and Atlanta United has shown that friendships can foster on-field success. “We are a great group from all lines,” Garza said. “People that come in and see how fantastic the guys are, and that shows through our performance on the field. You can tell we battle for each other and work for each other during the game, you play in partners on the field and we all have such great relationships on and off the field and that reflects on our game.”
Atlanta United continues to break barriers as an expansion franchise with their fifth consecutive sellout match this Sunday as they welcome New York City FC to Bobby Dodd Stadium. Atlanta United will look for another three points after an impressive win at home against Houston Dynamo last week where Miguel Almiron’s stunning hat trick led to a 4-1 score line.
