In the next eight days, Atlanta United will play three matches in MLS regular season play. That stretch comes with their first midweek match of the season, but first their gaze is fixed on Chicago. The 5-Stripes prepared this week for a Fire side that isn't too far away from them in the table, as the two squads are separated by just three points. The road match is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, May 10 at Soldier Field.
Head coach Ronny Deila's squad had another productive week of training with a couple of different audiences. The team sees Saturday as an opportunity to refine their approach and impose their will.
Squad availability
Atlanta United will have another option in midfield for Saturday, as Tristan Muyumba was left off of Friday's availability report. He is recovered from an adductor injury he sustained against Philadelphia Union April 19. It's unsure whether Muyumba is fit enough to start, but he will at the least be available off the bench for the 5-Stripes
Stian Gregersen remains out with a quad injury he suffered right before Muyumba against Union. Pedro Amador, who picked up an adductor injury in training this week, will be a game-time decision.
Player | Injury | Status |
Pedro Amador | Adductor | Questionable |
Stian Gregersen | Quadriceps | Out |
Fiery going forward
After holding another proficient attacking squad in Nashville SC to just one goal, Atlanta United's defense will need to be up to the task again with Chicago. The Fire are one of the most accurate teams in MLS when they get a chance to strike. They're fourth the in the league in accurate shooting percentage and have scored 18 goals out of just over 20 expected goals, according to MLSSoccer.com.
Led by former United States Men's National Team manager Gregg Berhalter, this Chicago side is having a somewhat similar season to the 5-Stripes — they're producing well in some areas but haven't gotten enough results.
One of Friday's drills saw three teams in a rectangular space, two of them lined up on opposite sides passing the ball and one defending in the middle. If one team passing the ball didn't complete enough passes, they would have to becoming the defending team and run to the other side, where the waiting team started their count. It encouraged players to press quickly and as a unit.
That's going to be a key to putting out the flames of Chicago's attack: making them uncomfortable from the second they get the ball.
"[Fire are] expansive, they are energetic," Deila said. "They go after you and they want to play you out. It gives a lot of spaces for us to play, but we have to take that fight first and have that togetherness and that aggression."
On the other end, Deila and Derrick Williams characterized Chicago as an aggressive team themselves. It's a trait that can be very impactful but can also be exploited if Atlanta United is smart about their play and pressing. Other teams have had success, as the Fire have conceded the second most goals in MLS this season with 22.
Williams echoed that idea, saying he wants his defense to bait opposing attackers into pressing more and make them run more for less reward. It requires expert composure at the back, a word he used multiple times Friday, but the reward for the risk is being better equipped for the length of the match.
"It's about having that confidence, taking that extra touch, sometimes dribbling at people," Williams said. "Make them jump to you, then play it ... They're a good team, organized, possess the ball well, but they definitely have weaknesses that we can exploit."
Break it down
Derrick Williams really dove into the nuances, the pushes and pulls of a soccer match after training Friday. The 5-Stripes were dialing up the heat in training. They want to be the team putting the pressure on.
Reflecting on last Saturday, Williams ran through many of the different scenarios that could contribute to Atlanta United having to drop back and play deeper off the ball. The squad's goal is to be on the front foot and push up on opposition, not the other way around. The second half of the Nashville match saw the 5-Stripes bracing for impact.
"It's literally whatever scenario comes up in the game," Williams said. "You have to react to it. Of course, we want to be high pressing, high line, in their face. That's the style of football we want to do."
Atlanta United has shown off-ball aggression and activity in spurts this season, but injuries and what Deila called a lack of continuity in the side have hampered the implementation of his vision.
"The biggest challenge we have had this inconsistency," Deila said. "When people are in and out a lot, you don't get consistency in training and matches. Then, your physical and mental level drops."
Each game is a unique chess match, players battling each other's tendencies and adjusting on the fly. Especially in a league like MLS, navigating the ebbs and flows within the game is just as important as being well prepared going into it. That's the next step for Atlanta United.
Deila affirmed that achieving that pressure and high line as a team is a long-term process, built over years of tactical familiarity and training. He acknowledged there's a balance between what he wants his team to do in the future and what they need to do right now to earn results.
"We have to do the same things over time," Deila said. "... You have to adaptable. We have to try to do the best out of the squad we have and availability that we have. That's why I think we have been back and forth in what we're doing, because we didn't think about the short term. We [just went] for what [we] believe in. I really believe that we can do something this season, and I know that a lot of things will happen into November, and we just need to keep on believing what we're doing."
