Match preview: Atlanta United putting finishing touches on preseason ahead of 2026 season opener

An offseason full of change for Atlanta United left many factors up in the air heading into the preseason. How will new head coach Tata Martino, in his second stint with the club, reestablish an identity? How will a squad mixed with players new and old take to that identity? How does everything come together to deliver an improvement on last season for a team that knows it should be at the forefront of Major League Soccer competitively? 

A month and a half later, with the preseason in the rear view, we don't know everything yet. But the words from the lips of the head coach and some key players are collected and confident. The team is ready for 2026 with fresh fitness and a new mentality of calm fearlessness. 

"I think the only thing missing is now it's time to compete," Martino said in Spanish after training Thursday. "I think the positive was that what we're doing in training is being reflected into what we're seeing [in matches]."

Impressions from an "intense" preseason

Tuesday's media availability saw two of last season's summer signings give their new impressions on 2026. Steven Alzate and Juan Berrocal both played in 10 matches for the 5-Stripes in 2025, and they're eager to more under their belts. 

Berrocal put it simply when asked about the preseason under Martino.

"Intense."

"It's been hard but necessary," Berrocal said in Spanish after training Tuesday. 

It's not just the Spanish defender who thought that. Most of the squad has, at one point or another, remarked about just how much running Tata is asking them to do. But, as Berrocal said, it's the grueling work that's the most necessary to prepare for a long MLS campaign.​

During the two preseason trips Atlanta United took to Miami and Texas, players and staff spent entire days together building all-important team chemistry. Alzate and Berrocal both mentioned how rotating roommates allowed them to grow closer with specific teammates and the group as whole. 

Alzate spoke on his role in the midfield and how he sees the team growing into Martino's tactical philosophy. It's a strategy based on pressing, patience in possession and directness on the counterattack.  

"The more we train as a group, the more [we're] going gel together, the more we're going to understand the manager's tactics, the way he wants to play," Alzate said Tuesday. "I feel like we're at a good point now, we've done enough training. Preseason kind of flew by, I feel like everyone is ready."​

New faces, same leaders

Though Alzate and Berrocal are still relatively new to Atlanta United, they'll feel more like veterans in comparison to the acquisitions from this window. The 5-Stripes brought in six new players from outside the club this winter, many of whom are set to be contributors week in week out for Martino's side. 

Tomás Jacob is one of them making waves in the early going. The Argentinian international came from Mexican side Necaxa as one of Tata Martino's first signings with the club. Though he's played in the defensive midfield for Atlanta United's friendlies, the U-22 initiative signing has been praised for his versatility. 

"It's always very helpful to have players who are versatile and who can play in different positions, and they're always ready to provide the things that we're asking of them," Martino said. "On top of that, he's a player who has fit in very well with the group. We're happy with the way he's been integrated into our group."​

Much of the questions Martino has fielded, from his initial introductory presser as well as throughout the preseason, have been about Miguel Almirón. The designated player had 13 goal contributions in 31 appearances last season, and Martino knows he'll need to get more of his Paraguayan star.

With the retirement of longtime club captain Brad Guzan, Almirón was the natural replacement for that role. Martino is placing his trust in his number 10 to be more than just an asset on the pitch. 

"Miguel is captain because he's the most influential player we have, because he's the leader of the team, and because the story he's built in Atlanta [marks] what corresponds with what our captain should be," Martino said. 

The other two designated players, Alexey Miranchuk and Emmanuel Latte Lath, will also shoulder the attack. Latte Lath, the Ivorian striker signed at the beginning of 2025, started off hot last season but ended with just 8 goal contributions by the end of the year. He's the first person expecting a bounce back. 

"It's so important this season, because I expect a lot for myself, but without putting pressure on myself, because I don't want to overdo things," Latte Lath said Thursday. "It's important I keep it in the right place."

The first foe of the new season

The 5-Stripes kick off their 2026 campaign with a road trip to fellow Eastern Conference side FC Cincinnati. It's no doubt a daunting challenge to begin the season, facing off away from home against the team that finished with the second-most points in MLS last season. 

Atlanta United mustered a point on the road against Cincinnati in just their second road match of the season in 2025. So much about the Atlanta United side that will square off this Saturday has changed from that match March 22, 2025, but Cincinnati's star is still there: Evander. 

The Brazilian totaled 33 goals and assists last season in a role that allows him the freedom to roam around the park and lose his markers. That can't happen if the 5-Stripes want to get a result Saturday. 

"We have to find a way to neutralize a very key player for them in Evander," Martino said. "He's a player who can be difficult to mark because he plays free and pops up in different spaces and can cause a lot of damage in certain moments."

Though the individuals will produce moments of their own throughout the season, it'll be the team's play as a unit that will ultimately determine how the 5-Stripes fare.  

"We tried to find our identity [in this preseason]," Latte Lath said. "[We want to] be brave ... With the new coach bringing ambition to the players, we're finding ourselves."