17s, the boys are coming home, and they can't wait.
Atlanta United, after nearly two months of playing on the road, will return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium twice this week. The 5-Stripes face Chicago Fire Wednesday night and Charlotte FC Saturday night, both matches kicking off at 7:30 p.m. It's not too late to join the party, and you can get your tickets to both matches here!
If you need any more reason to get hyped up, take a look at Atlanta United's "Love Letter to Atlanta", created by our video production team.
At Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground Monday morning, starters from over the weekend participated in the first half of training and then were shut down for the day. The players who came off the bench or were unused substitutes against Toronto FC stayed out on the pitch for more drills, including short-side, regular goal scrimmages.
The match Saturday, as diagnosed by head coach Ronny Deila, was one of Atlanta United's best showings on the road this season. The latest goal in Atlanta United history earned them a point, but the performance may have deserved even more. They'll take that confidence in the process back home to the rowdy and proud 17s just four days after the Toronto match.
Latte Lath gets back in the goals and how he can stay there
For the first time since March 29, Emmanuel Latte Lath scored for Atlanta United Saturday night. It was a long time coming for the 5-Stripes' forward who admitted Monday that the drought left him irritated. He even had to handle the emotions of a disallowed goal for offsides after finding the back of the net in the first half.
"It's normal, when you don't score for a little long time as a striker, you become frustrated," Latte Lath said after training Monday. "It's normal, but I just try to keep my head focused and wait for the right moment."
For the Ivorian, it seemed only a matter of time before he found that next moment. He had another goal disallowed earlier on the road trip against New York Red Bulls May 31. He came across a couple of great looks at goal that just got away in the Columbus match and Saturday against Toronto. So many near misses and unlucky moments later, Latte Lath's penalty kick in the 101st minute felt like the moment where he finally caught a break.
He spoke about how he approached life off the pitch when the football wasn't flowing for him.
"It's hard because, when things are going like this, you go home to your family and you need to switch off," Latte Lath said. "It's not it's not easy. But the only thing I know is to look at the positive things."
Latte Lath leads Atlanta United with six goals this season, and seeing one go into the back of the net without a whistle to nullify it may be just the spark he needs to keep them coming.
"I think he is one of them that is thinking about goals. First, you have to do your job, and then the goals will come," Deila said. "He has come into that mindset."
Reliable depth
Jayden Hibbert kept sharp at training Monday after his MLS debut. Hibbert made four saves and filled in very well for an injured Brad Guzan, especially given he didn't have much time to mentally prepare. After the match, he said he was told he would start just that morning.
The 20-year-old keeper spoke about how Guzan has guided him daily in his 17 Questions interview. Having a seasoned veteran to study under smoothed that transition, and Hibbert stepped up in a huge spot on the road as Atlanta United chases playoff spots. Though Deila said there's a good chance Guzan returns for Wednesday's match, Hibbert will stay ready for whatever comes.
"He's a football player," Deila said Monday. "You can see he can play high with the ball, and then also he has a good kick, so he can kick it in behind them as well, so you get more variation in things. I was very, very happy with this performance, and he had a couple of good saves as well. [He's] a talent to see for the future."
We'll know more about the status of certain Atlanta United players tomorrow when the club releases its availability report, but what we saw at training Monday was encouraging. Guzan made close-range saves in short-field scrimmages, and Stian Gregersen and Derrick Williams both participated in drills. Getting a pair of center backs healthy would be a huge boost for Deila's side, even if their backups Luis Abram and EfraÃn Morales have been sturdy in their places.
"I think the whole defense has been very good our last two games," Deila said. "I think Efra continued to have a lot of aggression. Luis has really stepped up with that ... We need to be on that level all the time. I'm very happy with the whole defense, especially the two center backs."
Preserving an untouched home record against Chicago
Atlanta United has never not won a regular season match at home against Chicago Fire. The 5-Stripes are 7-0-0 in those fixtures, outscoring them 20-4. The homefield advantage may be even stronger Wednesday night. It's been far too long since 17s have been able to cheer on their side in person, and they'll be extra amped to see some action.
The 5-Stripes have their work cut out for them against this Fire side, as they fell 2-1 on the road in the reverse fixture. They've made strides since that match, though, winning two home matches against top-of-the-table teams like Philadelphia Union and FC Cincinnati.
Deila was encouraged by the scenes at training Monday. Latte Lath, Pedro Amador and Tristan Muyumba got some relaxation in after they wrapped up training, laying down on the pitch and taking in the Georgia sun. It looked like they were happy to be at home and stay at home this week.
Progress can come in many different forms. The proof, for Deila, lies in how fast the ball moves.
"You have to trust that first you do your job, that's most important thing. And then you have to trust that the others [are] doing their job," Deila said. "Things have to go quick. That means that when the ball is on the way somewhere, the [receiver] is already knowing what's going to happen, and then things go quicker."
The away match in Toronto showcased fluidity in attack again. Now, the task is to make that repeatable.
"Don't be a firefly, that we are good and last for one day," Deila said. "You have to do it again. Stars, they do it over and over again, and that's what we need now."
