Head coach Ronny Deila and his staff know training time is precious, even if numbers are limited. Though a portion of the squad is still out representing their nations for the international break, Atlanta United still got some valuable work in at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground Tuesday morning.
It's all in preparation for New York City, who Atlanta United will take on for the second time this season at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday, June 12. There's plenty of spiraling storylines leading up to the first of five-straight road matches for Atlanta United after the international break: Who is going to be available to play? What's the status of the 5-Stripes defense? How will Deila and his side fare in his return to NYCFC? Tuesday's session gave us some insight:
Depth may be a necessity
Tomorrow's club availability report will be able to speak to team injuries, but many of Atlanta United's international representatives might just not be fit for Thursday's match. Most call ups will have played in a match Monday or Tuesday, and almost all of them will be rejoining the squad in New York instead of traveling from Atlanta.
The gaffer did mention that having less options actually makes it easier to pick a starting XI. He said he has a "clear" idea of what the squad will look like, but of course he didn't tip his hand.
"We have to see tonight how much they play," Deila said. "... We need to put up our team in the best shape as possible with what is available. The good thing is that we [have] other players now to get opportunities. Last time we gave [them] that, they did really well against Cincinnati, so we have a good experience from that in the last break."
The Cincinnati game that Deila spoke of could very well be Atlanta United's best road performance of the season — a 2-2 draw March 22 despite squad rotation due to the first FIFA international break window. They'll look to repeat that success in a match which may demand a similar level of squad rotation.
Back to the basics in defense
Atlanta United took a defensive focus in training, and for good reason. They've conceded too often and, as Deila says, have "given away" many of their goals. The international break may have claimed a fair few of Atlanta United's attackers and midfielders, but much of the defense is still in training. Derrick Williams, Matt Edwards, Brooks Lennon and Pedro Amador all participated in drills Tuesday.
"We have worked a lot with the defense," Deila said. "We used the break really well. The boys have been very professional and switched on."
The 5-Stripes spent a lot of Tuesday's session in rondos of varying sizes: two defenders in a circle about 10 yards in diameter, three in a larger one closer to 20 yards. They challenged those men in the middle to cover ground quickly and close in on the ball in an organized manner.
For the players in possession, they're becoming more comfortable with quick passing in pressured scenarios. Giving the ball away in defense has been a crutch for Atlanta United this season, with a turnover in the defensive third leading to goals conceded against Orlando City and New York Red Bulls in recent matches.
Edwards should be a part of the defensive set up Thursday, as he's worked his way into an important role on the right side of the three center backs. The Homegrown from Atlanta United's academy has demonstrated pace and physicality on the backline. He's had a big step up in responsibility for a player who didn't expect to be starting consistently this season.
"It's been a roller coaster for sure," Edwards said. "I'm grateful [for] where I've grown and what I've become, but I'm not happy enough yet. I need to keep growing as a player."
He's got the proper mindset to boot. Edwards specifically mentioned awareness and scanning as parts of his game he wants to improve at. He said Derrick Williams has been helping him identify what opposing attackers are trying to do to draw him out of position and how he can prevent space from opening up behind him.
Those rondo drills are especially key for defenders like Edwards. They're forced to move the ball rapidly and more accurately, something Deila wants his from his side Thursday night.
"You have to manage smaller spaces," Deila said. "You have to be quicker on the ball. It's going to be a more intense game."
History in the City
These two sides have a fiery encounter on record already this season. The reverse fixture, Atlanta United's 4-3 comeback win at home March 29, was a wild one and an example of dominant attacking and not-so defending. Multiple individual errors led to goals for each side, and both teams combined for seven goals on 12 shots on target. The 5-Stripes expect themselves to be just as deadly going forward, but the real deal breaker will be if they can defend at a higher level.
"We will get chances, and it's about eliminating as [many chances] as possible for them," Deila said.
Part of the effort will be adjusting to New York City's tighter home pitch at Yankee Stadium. It's a ground Deila knows very well having coached there from 2020 to 2022. Perhaps it's even part of the calculus putting his players in cramped drills Tuesday.
"It's a different field, different dimensions," Edwards said. "I think we need to be ready to adjust to that and then stay connected, keep our energy high and play to our strengths as a team and as a group."
In Deila's return to the place he once coached, he said he's got nothing but positive feelings for NYCFC. That being said, he knows how huge three points would be for his side. It would be a third win in four matches and nine points from a possible 12 heading into another nearly two weeks without a game.
"We have to put everything in there now to really finish this spring in a good way," Deila said. "It's a huge game and something we look forward to doing."
