Availability report and match preview: Healthy 5-Stripes head for Portland

Atlanta and Portland are around 2,100 miles away by air, one of the longest trips possible for Atlanta United in MLS play, but Júnior Alonso didn't balk at the prospect. 

"Having this type of trip where you have to go two days before [the match], the time change, adapting to certain circumstances [is tough]," Alonso said in Spanish Thursday, "but we’re professionals, and it’s our duty to adapt very quickly in order to arrive in the best way possible to the match."

Throughout his playing career in countries like Brazil and Russia, Alonso has endured long haul flights for club competitions. Yesterday, the 5-Stripes hit the road for the Pacific Northwest in preparation for their 26th match of the MLS regular season. As the matches dwindle down, so do opportunities to gain ground for a playoff push. Saturday's nightcap matchup at 10:30 p.m. ET will be one of the most important yet for Atlanta United. 

"Given the situation we're in, we don't have much time either," Alonso said. "Our adaptation must be as quick as possible because we have nine games left to be able to get into the playoffs, which is in the end what we're looking for."

A fully healthy squad for a cross-country trip

Atlanta United's Friday availability report did not list any player on the roster for the first time this season. 

It hasn't just been injuries keeping the 5-Stripes low on options since the Summer Transfer Window. Work visas took time for players like Mauricio Amaro and Giuliano Galoppo, to acquire, keeping them out of matchday eligibility until they completed those processes. 

Those two and the rest of Atlanta United's roster is ready to roll. Galoppo, the 5-Stripes' final summer window signing on loan from River Plate in Argentina, has waited patiently for his time to play. He spoke to media for the first time Tuesday, emphasizing his ability to bridge the midfield and attack.

"What I think I can provide to the team is my ability to arrive in the box, to be able to connect the defensive midfielders with the forwards," Galoppo said in Spanish Tuesday. "To be able to get into the box and help with also my ability to shoot from medium distance."

Galoppo wasn't the only person waiting for his eligibility. Martino made his desire to get the midfielder in the fold clear. 

"I think speaking with Tata before was one of the reasons for my decision to come here," Galoppo said. "In the end he had a big influence because he’s a great coach and we all know what he means. The idea that he was counting on me motivated me a lot to make this decision."

Atlanta United Availability Report - Friday, September 18

All players available for selection

Playing their own style, not Portland's

The 5-Stripes are still molding their identity to Martino and his coaching staff's vision. That protagonist mindset means, in Tata's view, that the onus is on them to take control of the match.  

"We have a way of playing where a significant percentage of what can happen in a match will depend on us," Martino said. "When a team has a proposal similar to what we want to implement, we often maintain that what happens in a match, the good and the bad, will depend on us."​

No doubt, last Saturday night's 0-0 draw with D.C. United was closer to that vision. The stats say so: 60% of the possession, 20 shots, 2.6 expected goals. Atlanta United is hoping with the chances, goals will follow. 

The Timbers bring some chaotic football to the table, both top three in goals and bottom three in goals conceded in the Western Conference. Their leading scorer on the season, Kevin Kelsy, departed for Rangers in Scotland earlier this month, but they've still got some tricky attackers to deal with. Kristoffer Velde has three goals in his last three matches, for one. ​

Yet rather than highlight those threats, Martino and Enea Mihaj both put their focus on their own work ahead of less unfamiliar opponent in Portland. With just nine matches remaining and an outside shot at a playoff run still possible, the 5-Stripes need wins now.

"It’s going to be a challenging game, but I think from now on we have to focus more on ourselves," Mihaj said Tuesday. "Obviously, we have to respect the opponent to see how they play, to analyze ... But the most important thing is going to be our attitude, how we’re going to react when [we] lose the ball, and how we’re going to finish the action."