The sun poked out above the training ground, heating the players for the first time in weeks. Atlanta United continued its preseason training, preparing for the last few matches of its schedule to ramp up for the start of MLS regular season play.
Last Saturday’s friendly against Chattanooga FC saw the 5-Stripes work off some of the offseason rust, and now the players and coaches returned to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground to get on track ahead of their remaining preseason games. Head coach Ronny Deila gathered information and saw how his players gel together to decide how to get the most out of them.
Two Atlanta United players addressed the media after a morning of running in the sun. Second-year midfielder Bartosz Slisz and newly-signed forward Cayman Togashi shared their impressions of the squad three weeks into the preseason.
New faces in the fold
New Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson was busy his first weeks on the job identifying talent for the Atlanta United roster. The addition of Togashi gives Deila and the coaching staff options going forward. The striker, who was born in New York, returned to the United States after playing professionally in Japan for nearly a decade.
His pace in behind and finishing ability will stretch the field, and he’ll be a dangerous player later in games as defenders get worn out.
Even in the intense focus at the training ground, Togashi is eager to experience the noise of the gameday atmosphere in Atlanta. It’s part of the reason he wanted to come to play in the United States.
“When I watch the games, I felt the passion in the fans, and I want to experience that myself in the games,” Togashi said through a translator. “I can’t wait.”
Along with Togashi in attack, Mateusz Klich was already making waves in the midfield during scrimmages. The trade acquisition from D.C. United brings plenty of experience, and his positioning and quick passing fit seamlessly in the middle of the pitch. To Bartek, another Polish player in the squad is a welcome sight, but he’s even more excited about the impact Klich will have on the pitch.
“I’m happy with Klich here, and he’s a nice guy,” Slisz said. “I’m hopeful he’s going to help us on the pitch because that’s most important.”
Deila is deciding what works
With new faces entering the squad, Deila is putting the pieces together, sticking with what works and changing what doesn’t. His training on Wednesday emphasized making decisions on the ball and playing in tight spaces, with large and small field scrimmage drills. He was happy to pull players aside individually to discuss spacing, runs and more.
Slisz said it’s not just the players adapting to the new system, but Deila adapting to his new players.
“He’s also learning us right now, seeing how we work, how we look, learning about the country, the league, everything,” he said.
For Togashi, the adjustment to Deila’s system has been smooth so far. He said it’s not all that different than the system at his previous Japanese club. As he acclimates himself, he wants to balance being a team player and expressing his unique traits on the pitch.
“I think it’s important every session to show my personality and character,” he said. “Communication is important, demands from teammates and the coaching staff. That’s what I’m thinking every session I step on the field.”
Short-term memory switches
Whether it’s a friendly or not, Slisz said the team never goes into a match looking to do anything other than win. Atlanta United conceded two late goals to Chattanooga FC after scoring the first of the match just a few minutes earlier. Concentration will be important over the course of a full 90 minutes, but after the game is for reflecting on the loss and then letting it go.
“It’s good video to analyze, and of course we have to keep working,” he said. “The next day is the most important, so I’ve already forgot about [the Chattanooga] game, and we have to think forward.”
Togashi and Slisz both talked about the intensity of the training sessions, understanding that part of the goal of preseason is to get back to the fitness levels required to brave the MLS regular season. Consistency over the course of that full campaign is the next step for an Atlanta United team that had some highs in 2024, like their remarkable postseason run. It’s something that Derrick Williams mentioned earlier on in preseason.
Slisz already noticed improvement in training.
“Everything is in front of us,” he said. “We train so hard, really hard, but I love it. I see a lot of difference compared to last season.”
A Birmingham bout up next
Atlanta United will get another chance to tune up their matchday performance with a friendly against Birmingham Legion at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday Feb. 1 at Protective Stadium. The match will be streamed live on atlutd.come/live.
