With each passing week, the end of the 2025 MLS regular season draws near. Atlanta United's playoff goals aren't yet past them, and they're digging their heels knowing they'll need to pick up almost all of their remaining points to make that a reality.
"We have to have ambition," Miguel Almirón said in Spanish after training Thursday. "We're playing at Atlanta, it's a big club. Everyone on the team has to have the ambition that we want to fight for the playoffs ... Mathematically, we're not eliminated yet, so there's still a chance."
At training Thursday, head coach Ronny Deila had his squad working on tactics closed off to media for the back half of training. Before that, it was possession passing drills with about 30 yards worth of space. The close quarters saw Atlanta United's midfielders operating under constant pressure, and players like Bartosz Slisz and new signing Steven Alzate brought their best.
A flight over the Rocky Mountains awaits the 5-Stripes, as they'll face Colorado Rapids at 9 p.m. ET Saturday, August 16. It's been a while since Atlanta United has played outside of the Eastern time zone, so don't forget that later kickoff when tuning in. For today, Deila and Almirón had media availability after another technically-testing training session.
Right-side revelations
Atlanta United is creating more and more chances in recent weeks, in part thanks to free-flowing football on the right side of the formation. Miguel Almirón has settled into his role as a winger, and Ronald Hernández occupied the right back spot in the Montréal match where the 5-Stripes created 3 expected goals worth of chances.
Almirón has been able to play off Emmanuel Latte Lath and Alexey Miranchuk more often, sticking further wide and exchanging often on cutbacks. He's always been a gifted ball-carrier, but the real revelation for him has been the passing chemistry with the other two designated players on the roster. Almirón has completed more than 90 percent of his passes in each of his last two matches.
"When I arrived, we were a group of a lot of new players, but after six or seven months, the connection is getting better and better," Almirón said. Almirón said in Spanish after training Thursday. "... I'm [still] trying to help with goals and assists."
Hernández' relationship with Almirón on the right side looks instinctual, as the two overlap each other and combine to create chances. The fullback is a great connective piece for the team as a whole.
"He has a lot of passion in his game," Deila said. "He's improved a lot, now it's more stability in his best position."
The next step for Almirón will be finishing off some chances himself. Deila has harped on him and the other attackers getting into shooting positions more often.
"We need him more in the goal situations," Deila said. "... If we start to switch, [he's] the guy that's [got to] finish it. We need to get him into those areas in the end of the attack."
The elements of the Colorado matchup
Facing a Colorado road trip, altitude comes into play as the thinner air plays a factor in team fitness. At over 5,200 feet above sea level, Dick's Sporting Goods Park is the MLS stadium with the highest elevation. The next highest destination, Real Salt Lake's America First Field, is more than 700 feet below Rapids'.
Almirón, who has played at some of the highest altitudes in world football, isn't fazed.
"I played at elevation in Bolivia, and I think that's the highest altitude you can play at," Almirón said. "I've also played in Colorado before, and I didn't really feel it that much, so I know what it's like."
Atlanta United's focus lies on what they face across the pitch and not how high up that pitch may be. Rapids, the third Western Conference opponent of the season for the 5-Stripes, are less familiar than some of Atlanta's well-known rivals. Still, Deila and his staff have scouted their opponents for Saturday and have implemented a gameplan like any other week.
The gaffer's first takeaway was that Rapids are happy to concede possession. The stats support him, as Colorado averages just 43.6 percent of the ball this season according to FBref.com, good for third least in MLS. Atlanta United, with 51.5 percent per game, is 10th in the league this season. Dominating the ball and dictating the tempo aligns with Deila's philosophy, and he said it will be even more important in the altitude.
Atlanta United defender Noah Cobb will sit on the opposite bench to the traveling 5-Stripes as a current Colorado Rapids loan player. Deila said he and the rest of the coaching staff keep tabs on their loanees by watching their matches, and he praised Cobb's performance against Minnesota United. The Georgia native won't be allowed to play against his parent club, much to Deila's delight.
"It's a very good experience for him," Deila said. "He needs playing time and also to get out of Atlanta and see other parts of the country and get another experience ... That is a part of the development."
As Saba Lobjanidze mentioned earlier in the week, it's one match at a time for the 5-Stripes. Still searching for their first road win of the season, the squad knows it'll take another level of dedication.
"Soccer is like that, and sometimes you go through these periods," Almirón said. "But that's when you really learn about everything. [We] have to put in twice the amount of work to try and keep going and try to get Atlanta back to where we want."
