Atlanta United is preparing for its final extended road trip of the season, which will cover about 3,400 miles and include visits to three different regions of the United States. The first stop is in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the team will face New England Revolution on Saturday.
The two teams last met in April, a match that ended in disappointment for Atlanta United. Since then, the club has added new players and experienced a mix of results, including its first away win of the season against Nashville on August 30. That 1-0 victory is seen as a model for what Atlanta hopes to achieve in Boston.
Recent performances against upcoming opponents have been challenging for Atlanta United. The team has not earned any points in its last three matches against New England, LAFC, and Inter Miami. However, last weekend’s draw with San Diego FC provided some optimism after Miguel Almirón converted a penalty kick to secure a point.
“In this season, with all the good teams [we face], we play really good against them,” Saba Lobjanidze said after training Thursday. “The San Diego performance, I think this season, it was one of the best for us.”
This season’s highlights include home victories over top-ranked FC Cincinnati and Supporters’ Shield contenders San Diego FC, as well as an away win at Nashville that handed their rivals only their second home loss of the year.
Head coach Ronny Deila reflected on what worked during that Nashville match when considering how to approach this road stretch: “A lot of the things that we did in Nashville,” Deila said when asked what the team needs to do to secure points on the road trip. “It’s always a bit different when you go away, because then the opponent is attacking even more. You need to have character in the team. You need to be calm when you are a little under pressure, and then you have to take your chances and dare to play when you get the opportunities. I think we did that well in Nashville.”
Deila emphasized strong second-half performances as crucial for success: “At this level, when it’s so even, we have suffered so many times in the second halves this year,” Deila said. “Now you feel like we are staying together. We are getting stronger and stronger, and we are hard to play against.”
Aggression has been another area of focus for Deila leading up to these matches: “The intensity and the hard work that they are putting in,” Deila said when asked what New England does that will test his side. “We have to deal with winning challenges, first balls, second balls. We have to deal with Gil.”
Carles Gil remains a key player for New England Revolution; he scored from a penalty kick during their previous meeting with Atlanta United earlier this year. With defensive additions such as Enea Mihaj and Juan Berrocal since then, Atlanta may look better equipped defensively.
New England sits five points behind Atlanta United in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference standings but was recently eliminated from playoff contention (https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings/). Despite no postseason implications riding on Saturday’s result, both teams aim to finish strong.
“There’s always pressure,” Saba said regarding expectations at season’s end. “We have to win some games, you know, for positive vibes for next season. We have to win, and I’m ready for that.”
