Even amidst a season that hasn't gone to plan, Atlanta United has been eager to cling onto positives. Two gritty 2-1 wins later, the 5-Stripes have some encouraging results to rally behind.
Still, the 5-Stripes are rushing to any conclusions, even on a recent winning run. Their larger goals are still in front of them, and a result against Sporting Kansas City Sunday night would be another step in the right direction. The 7 p.m. ET kickoff will see Atlanta United play the last place side in the Western Conference looking for a third consecutive win.
"The cause is to get out of the situation that we're in," Tomás Jacob said in Spanish after training Friday. "We're taking it game by game. When you take it one game at a time, we start thinking about getting into the playoff mix, which is what we always wanted."
Squad leaders sparking mindset change
A key component of Atlanta United's wins each of the last two matches lies between the sticks. Lucas Hoyos has made a plethora of last-ditch saves for the 5-Stripes since last Saturday, putting in a Man of the Match performance against Minnesota.
Fans see the impact on the pitch, but it's times like Friday during media availability where you really get a glimpse into Hoyos' role in the side — as a leader. Jacob credited the keeper for easing his transition moving to a new country at 22 years old.
"Here, I’m just a guy who’s on his own," Jacob said. "When I’m with Lucas, who talks to me, who I can open up to, who I can tell my problems to ... he’s like a psychologist for me. With the experience he has, he helps me and is always there by my side."
Jacob said his fullback partner Elías Báez feels the same. Hoyos is getting his plaudits for his efforts on the pitch, but that impact as a person may go even further. It's a ripple effect that spread throughout the squad, breeding confidence heading into matches. Jacob's ripper of a goal in the 37th minute against Minnesota is prime evidence.
"At the beginning of the season, I'm someone who put a lot of pressure on myself coming here," Jacob said. "I had a change in mentality, that I don't have to prove anything to anyone, to try to be myself and do what I can do. Now, I'm adapting well, I'm more comfortable and I'm happier."
Closing out a triple matchweek, with three fixtures in eight days, head coach Tata Martino said times like this call for squad leaders like Hoyos.
"The recovery is very important, but in a week like this, where there's not going to be a lot of training time on the field, it's more preparation through different the roles that these players are taking off the field," Martino said in Spanish Friday.
Kansas City to get a taste of Mercedes-Benz Stadium
For a Western Conference opponent, Atlanta United has seen Sporting Kansas City rather recently — in a friendly. The two sides warmed up against each other July 9 in anticipation of the return from the break. It ended a 3-2 win for the hosting 5-Stripes, but that match was at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground. Sunday night will be a whole other stage.
The 17s welcomed Atlanta United back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium Saturday, Aug. 15 with fervor, and they were repaid with a 2-1 win over Red Bull New York. Now comes the opportunity for the 5-Stripes to really build momentum.
"It's much easier to focus on things, and you're able to correct more things," Martino said. "There's just a different mood in the group when the team is winning. I think the team needed it during these five days."
"I'm noticing a change," Jacob said. "The good thing is I see everyone committed."
Martino and his staff did gain good intel on how Kansas City might shape up in that friendly matchup. But in the heat of the summer transfer window, both sides have changed quite a bit since they faced off.
"It's a team we played the friendly against earlier this summer, so we know you know some of the qualities of the team," Martino said. "They're a team that tries to play, that can play good football. They're changing the roster quite a bit at the moment, so that's something that may impact you know the Kansas City that we saw before the window to what we're seeing now."
The 5-Stripes encounter a somewhat unpredictable side that has struggled for the large part of this season in both attack and defense. Sporting Kansas City have scored the least goals in MLS this season with 19.
Atlanta United will have the home-field advantage of the 17s behind them. They'll have momentum from the last two wins. All the ingredients are present for an emphatic Atlanta United win, but the work is yet to be done. That's for Sunday night to tell, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium will stand witness.
"It's lovely, the energy that's in the stadium is like no other in the league," Jacob said. "We feel that. For us as players, we're committed. If we all stay united and stick together, with everything we have at this club with the facilities and everything, there's nothing we can't do."
