Written By: Devin Rodriguez
Five years removed from winning the MLS cup in their second season, Atlanta United is determined to return to form and compete for a second title.
Atlanta United finished the 2022 MLS season in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, missing out on the playoffs for the second time in three years. Their US Open Cup run was equally as disappointing with the club progressing only as far as the Round of 32.
Garth Lagerwey
The offseason saw many key acquisitions and departures for the club.
The overhaul of the roster was led by newly appointed President & CEO Garth Lagerwey. Lagerwey is credited with the formation of talented rosters that led to successful periods for Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders in recent times. Lagerwey is highly regarded as one of the best General Managers in the MLS.
He holds a position different from GM in Atlanta, but his expertise and leadership will be necessary to return Atlanta United to the heights of seasons past and achieve their “limitless potential” as described by Lagerwey.
Departures
The most notable departure of the offseason was the free transfer of 2018 MLS MVP and the club’s all-time goals leader Josef Martínez to Eastern Conference rival Inter Miami. Martínez was 1 of 13 players to depart this offseason in a true roster overhaul.
Other notable departures include Alan Franco, George Campbell, Emerson Hyndman, and Mikey Ambrose, another member of that 2018 MLS Cup winning squad, and the once highly touted Marcelino Moreno on loan to Coritiba.
Additions
The firepower lost by the transfer of Martínez is hoped to be replaced by the addition of Giorgos Giakoumakis in a $5.3 million dollar deal from Scottish club Celtic. Giakoumakis scored 19 goals in 40 appearances for the Celtic.
Giakoumakis was slated to join Urawa Red Diamonds in Japan before a visit to Glasgow from Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra convinced him to move to the Five Stripes.
The attack will also be bolstered by the addition of winger Derrick Etienne Jr. from the Columbus Crew.
Center Back Luis Abram is expected to cement a place in the Atlanta backline next to Miles Robinson following his transfer from La Liga side Granada.
MLS Playoffs Format
Atlanta United should be a contender for an Eastern Conference spot in the newly formatted Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Nine teams will make the playoffs from each conference. A wild card match will be played between the 8th and 9th seeds to determine who will play the 1st seed. Round one will see a best-of-3 series played between the clubs before progressing to single elimination conference semifinal and conference final matches.
The Eastern Conference Champion and Western Conference Champion will square off in the winner take all MLS Cup final.
Tactical Analysis
Atlanta United was most commonly deployed by Head Coach Gonzalo Pineda in a 4-3-3. He played a possession dominant style with Atlanta United having the highest average percentage of possession in the league last season. The same tactics and style will be in use this season.
The additions of Giakoumakis and Etienne will look to return a threatening dynamism to the front three. These additions are also expected to provide increased freedom and unlock the potential of Luiz Araújo who is expected to round out the front three on the right flank.
The midfield will be spearheaded by Thiago Almada. Almada is fresh off a 2022 FIFA World Cup victory with Argentina and has a shot to be an MVP candidate this season if he can return to form.
Added mobility ahead of Almada will play into his strengths and allow him to progress into the final third before creating a goal-scoring opportunity or taking the opportunity himself. Santiago Sosa and Osvaldo Alonso are expected to round out the midfield three.
A healthy Miles Robinson will be key to any success Atlanta United achieves this season. His partnership with new signing Abram will be just as important.
The full-back positions are expected to be occupied by Andrew Gutman and Brooks Lennon who each played in 25 matches last season. The return of Brad Guzan will add stability to the goalkeeper position and add an experienced figure to the field to lead the squad given the retirement of club captain Michael Parkhurst.
Matchday 1 Preview
Atlanta United (0-0-0) vs San Jose Earthquakes (0-0-0)
- When: February 25th, 7:30 EST
- Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- How to Watch: MLS Season Pass- Apple TV+
San Jose finished dead last in the Western Conference last season and third from the bottom in the MLS overall.
The development of Cade Cowell and the additions of Jonathan Mensah and club-recording signing Carlos Gruezo are expected to push the Earthquakes closer to playoff contention.
Still, even with those new signings, San Jose isn’t expected to be an immediate contender in the Western Conference. This Saturday’s match is a prime opportunity for Atlanta to start the season off on a positive note with three points.
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