Es sabado en México.
And a gorgeous Saturday it is. The team had an early training session this morning. For those of us on Friday's outing to the tequila distillery, it was the first time we got to see the full squad here in Mexico. Jake Mulraney was back on the pitch after finalizing his green card. Miles Robinson was there, his limbs still recovering from the ridiculously cold temperatures during the U.S. game in St. Paul earlier this week. We also saw the final team member to return from international duty. Machop Chol made it back from South Sudan, enduring a grueling trip with multiple layovers.
Gonzalo Pineda has started the tradition of giving these returning players a spotlight during the pre-training huddle. He welcomes the players back and lets them explain where they were and how they did. Then, the team gives them a round of applause. It’s a nice way to welcome the players back.
Despite some reports, Santiago Sosa has been training. We watched him workout on the field next to us. Brooks Lennon and Marcelino Moreno are still day-to-day but are keeping fit with workout regimens and stationary bikes.
When we arrived to the facility, the grounds crew was re-netting one of the goals on the large pitch. Soon after, the goalkeepers came out early and started work in that net. In one drill, they moved fast blocking a shot in the air from the left, a shot on the ground from the right, and a pass down the end line. Goalkeeper coach Liam Curran was vocal and encouraged the keepers to be prepared for the ball and increase the tempo.
The club has three new goalkeepers this season: Bobby Shuttleworth, Dylan Castanheira and Justin Garces. Shuttleworth is a 13-year MLS veteran, spending most of that time with New England Revolution and Chicago Fire. Castanheira signed with Atlanta in December. He was with Atlanta United 2 in 2019 and played his most recent ball with Inter Miami CF. Garces, the youngest of the bunch at 21 years old, is a product of the academy and signed a Homegrown contract in January.
It's a strong group, and all three appear to be doing well in camp. (Garces dove for a spectacular save during the team's shooting competition today.) All three will compete to back up Atlanta’s stalwart goalkeeper, Brad Guzan.
On that note, there was a funny moment at the end of practice when Guzan, a guy who certainly isn’t shy, tackled assistant coach Rob Valentino and pinned him down in a wrestling move.
It was a lighthearted end to practice. Earlier, the team worked on some positioning and practiced corner kicks. Alan Franco knocked in a swift header off a corner. Mikey Ambrose took a long rebound and made the equivalent of a half-court shot in basketball from very deep on the field.
The team played a cascaritas game and ended with another friendly competition that involved shooting from the top of the box. Jackson Conway was the last man standing – and proudly thanked all of the staff in the stands for bearing witness.
After training, there was a bit more fun – only this time, on a nearby tennis court as Darren Eales and Carlos Bocanegra played against each other. The match, cheekily referred to as the U.S. Open, took place on the center court at Club Atlas Colomos. Both men played well, Eales showed some deft with his shot placement and Bocanegra worked in some skillful spin. But some unforced errors hurt Bocanegra and the wily Englishman went on to win 6-4 and claim this year’s title.
Saturday was a big day for a member of Gonzalo Pineda’s coaching staff: Diego de la Torre celebrated his birthday. And we all know what that means for Pineda’s squad. De la Torre got a lot of special attention during the day. First, some playful shoves during the practice tunnel. Then, an ice bath at the end of practice. Finally, back at the hotel the assistant coach experienced firsthand Pineda’s birthday tradition. He got hit hard with cake – so hard he completely fell out of his chair. (The cake was red velvet, I regret to report. It looked very pretty before it was smashed.)
The team now moves forward and prepares for a match day on Sunday. Atlanta United has its first scrimmage here in Mexico tomorrow when the team takes on Celaya FC at Estadio Tres de Marzo. Fans back in Atlanta will be able to watch the match on atlutd.com/live. We’ll have more coverage from the stadium so stay tuned at ATLUTD.com/mexico and ATLUTD on Twitter.
