Atlanta United hosted supporters at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground Wednesday, and they were rowdy and proud.
Those in attendance brought the whole nine yards: drums, kazoos, a cardboard cutout of Brad Guzan. It was a sight to behold, a wall of support that looked like a mini-Gulch.
As training concluded, the supporters lined along the gates for a chance to meet the players, take pictures and get their copious amounts of merch autographed — flags, shirts, and yes, that cardboard cutout too.
Rain or shine
Thankfully for those in attendance, it was the latter Wednesday. They were locked in on a lengthy training session that saw Atlanta United’s squad practicing under the almost-summer sun.
There wasn’t an ounce of pessimism at the Training Ground despite the run of form Atlanta United is in. The supporters applauded pretty strings of play and goals in scrimmages.
“We’re the heartbeat of it,” one supporter said. “We’re there to support them, win, lose or draw. There are good days and bad days, but [we] support the crest and keep believing.”
That faith was on full display Wednesday. It was a large crowd of members of club supporters groups, many of whom took the day off from work or school to be there and get an inside look at how Atlanta United prepares day-in, day-out.
The club’s support is unwavering, and it’s clear that many of those out there have been there from the jump. Most of the fans who spoke to Atlanta United’s digital media team said they’ve been attending matches since the club’s inaugural season. The network is ever-growing, and events like Wednesday are just another great opportunity to meet other 17s.
“The number of friends we’ve gotten to know over the last five or six years has been exponential,” another supporter said. “It’s fun to see the passion of the game explode in Atlanta.”
Atlanta United’s next two matches are at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, giving them two chances to use that persistent voice and energy to propel themselves to a result. At home matches, no matter the result, Atlanta United’s players and coaches always make a trip down to the supporters end to show their gratitude for the energy they provide. It’s a matter of respect and club unity.
“I love when the team comes around at the end of the game to thank the fans,” another supporter said. “That touches our hearts. That shows that, win or lose, they’re still supporting us as much as we support them.”
Atlanta’s lemon pepper wing backs and the five-at-the-back system
Deila’s pivot to a system that features wing backs in the last couple of matches is bringing the best out of the fullbacks. We’ve previously referred to the formation as a five-at-the-back, and it is in defense, but when Atlanta United attacks, it’s more of a 3-4-2-1.
Pedro Amador, Matt Edwards, Brooks Lennon, Ronald Hernández, and Saba Lobjanidze have spent time in that wing back role, and it’s been quite the stabilizer in the last couple of matches. Since the change, Atlanta has conceded just two open-play goals in the last three matches. That’s right after they gave up seven in open play in the three matches before — a rapid and substantial improvement defensively.
The defensive responsibility of the wing back position is key, being first to close out on wide wingers to prevent crosses. In attack, you see just how far forward Amador and Co. creep up as an outlet for long switches. When those happen quick enough, the team works its way into some very favorable attacking scenarios.
“They’re the key to our to the system, because you can't really play five at the back with our wing backs,” Mateusz Klich said after training. “That’s what it’s all about, the overloads on the side.”
The final product is what’s left to perfect. Miguel Almirón had a big chance get away against Austin, Jamal Thiaré had another against Philadelphia that just missed the net. Head coach Ronny Deila called on his team to have a “killer instinct” when they get chances after the Union match Saturday.
“I think we've been a little unlucky in the last three games. We are creating chances, just for whatever one reason or another, we have been able to convert some of those,” Amador said in Spanish after training Wednesday. “I think it's just a matter of concentration.”
On the pitch Wednesday, the players went through rondos, short-field scrimmages and had a less-common full-field scrimmage for a portion of training. Over the last couple of weeks, the 5-Stripes have been hammering home on smaller spaces to get better in tight situations. Now, they’re dedicating more time to positioning and building up larger forward movements.
The full field gave the wing backs a chance to really use that width. Nyk Sessock, an Atlanta United 2 player training with the first team, thrived up and down the sidelines and made a few clean one-on-one tackles.
What’s next
The 5-Stripes have a full week to train for a Sunday Night Soccer matchup against FC Cincinnati. They had the day off Monday coming off a triple-matchday week, and now they will have five straight days of training before the match Sunday. It’s a chance for them to build momentum and head into a top-of-the-table matchup with fitness and confidence.
“We're suffering, but in the next game, we could score two or three goals and then feel like everything is turned,” Amador said. “We know this is soccer. Things change really fast. The first thing you need is that consistent work ethic.”
