The 5-Stripes left the pitch at GEODIS Park August 30 with smiles on their faces and a zero on the scoreboard for the opposition. They would've taken a result no matter how it came, but it must've felt even sweeter to keep a second consecutive clean sheet.
Atlanta United's goal for this Saturday's match against Columbus Crew is clear: win the match and keep playoff hopes alive. How they can accomplish that goal is also clear: keep up the lockdown defense.
Training at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground Thursday morning, head coach Ronny Deila's team looked aggressive defensively in short-field scrimmage drills. New signings like Enea Mihaj and Juan Berrocal are gelling well with the rest of the squad, both in and out of possession. The 5-Stripes understand that when they kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday night, defensive attitude will make the difference.
New stability with the help of a newcomer
Atlanta United's upturn in form in recent matches has been driven by the defense. The 5-Stripes have kept two-straight clean sheets and have conceded just one goal per game in the last five matches, considerably under their average on the season.
Deila chops this up to, among a few things, consistency in personnel. One of the new additions has been a part of that, as Enea Mihaj has started each of the last four matches.
"[We've started] to understand that we need to sacrifice, from the first player in the back to the last one," Mihaj said after an earlier training Tuesday. We did that good. We have to continue doing the same."
He and Stian Gregersen are gaining chemistry rapidly, fortifying what was a shaky backline earlier in the season. As they accumulate minutes together on the pitch, they're learning tendencies and how to get the best out of one another. Their combination of pace and power is apparent by the tackles they put in, and, as Mihaj puts it, both of them have that fire in them.
"We have good communication, and we understand each other," Mihaj said. "We are little bit crazy, both of us, sometimes in the game, and that's good. We need to bring this crazy thing in the game sometimes. [At] the same time, we try to be patient and calm in the moment."
Mihaj has earned rightful praise from players and coaches alike, not just for his contributions on the pitch but also for his vocal leadership everywhere. No matter what the results are to close out the season, the 5-Stripes have found a true building block in the backline.
"He's definitely one of the guys that's coming in and loves to win, loves to talk, loves to put demands, give information around," Deila said.
Of course, he'll deflect the plaudits in favor of highlighting the team's collective progress, a hallmark of a good leader.
"I think never can be an individual thing," Mihaj said. "It's about the team, always. Of course, it feels nice [to hear that praise], but it's always the team. The important part is always the team."
A bounce-back opportunity against the Crew
Back in June, it was the Crew who got the best of the 5-Stripes in Columbus. The 3-1 defeat was a tale of two halves — Atlanta United fell behind by three in the first 45 but scraped a goal back in the second period. Deila was critical of the squad's performance in that first half both after the match and on Thursday.
"We meet a good team [Saturday], and of course, we remember that game [in June]," Deila said. "That was our worst performance this season, the first half. We have to take learning from that and try to do it better."
Against a Crew side that is insistent in its possession-first playstyle, Atlanta United need to enforce their own will. Whether that's sitting back and counter attacking or fighting for the front foot at home, they'll need to be definitive one way or another. New options at Deila's disposal may make that effort possible.
"The team is quite different, what we put on the pitch now [compared to] what we had that time," Deila said. "... Now we get a big test, because this is a team that can hurt you badly if you're not [well] organized."
As Atlanta United's crew returns from international break, the squad is almost entirely healthy. Jay Fortune, who is out of the season after a successful foot surgery in June, was the only First Team player not training according to Deila. We'll see if anything changes tomorrow when the club releases its availability report.
Lineup consistency matters everywhere on the pitch, but Deila said it's especially important on the backline. It's an area of the pitch highly reliant on trust — defenders trusting their teammates will be there to cover them, hold a line, win one-on-one duels.
Better results also breed confidence, something Deila mentioned in his postgame speech after the Nashville win. Mihaj is doing his best to guide his side's mentality and strive for, you guessed it, consistency.
"I think we have to keep our feet in the ground, we [just] won one game," Mihaj said. "We won against a good team away. That's very important, but we have to be consistent."
