Atlanta United is preparing for a road match against Los Angeles FC this Sunday, with the team practicing at their expanded Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground before traveling to California. The club recently unveiled new facilities, including an upgraded press conference room and additional gym space, which are now in use.
Head coach Ronny Deila and midfielder Alexey Miranchuk spoke about the impact of these upgrades on Friday. “I think it’s a fantastic facility,” Deila said. “In my opinion, now this club [has] the best facilities I’ve seen at all the clubs I’ve been to. It’s something to be proud of. It says something about the commitment [from] Mr. Blank, that you put all the things that you need to get the best out of every player into place. In the end, it’s no excuses. You have everything.”
The expansion separates training areas for Atlanta United’s first team from those used by Atlanta United 2 and Academy players. According to Deila, more space allows players to build stronger relationships within smaller groups: “[With] more space, you don’t need to have a lot of people around all the time, so you can create even more bonds inside the team,” he said.
Further renovations are planned for next year, including new spaces dedicated to player rest and recovery such as therapy treatment rooms and hydrotherapy facilities.
The team departed for Los Angeles on Friday afternoon ahead of their Sunday night match against LAFC—a trip longer than most away games in Major League Soccer (MLS). The squad left a day earlier than usual due to travel distance and jet lag concerns; they will train in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Miranchuk commented on handling long flights: “I remember one, 10 hours one way,” he said. “[Four and a half hours] is chilling. Take a nap, one movie.”
On Sunday, Atlanta United faces an LAFC side featuring Son Heung-min—recently signed from Tottenham Hotspur—and Denis Bouanga; together they have contributed 42 goals this MLS season despite Son playing only eight matches so far.
Deila outlined his approach for containing LAFC’s attack: “We need to have enough people around the [defensive] area,” he said. “That’s going to be good to force them wide, be very compact in center of the pitch. We also have to make progress for them. You cannot just go there and sit in and defend. You also have to go the other way as well.”
Miranchuk emphasized defensive responsibilities for attacking players: “Away games, especially against good teams, we need to think first about defense, offensive marking and all this stuff,” he said. “… Us forwards and attacking players, not in only this game but especially in this game, [need to] help a lot in the defense to stop and then think about counter attacks and find some space. But I think, first thing has to be defense. Good, solid defense.”
With two more road matches before returning home for their season finale, Atlanta United is focusing on building confidence through positive play while prioritizing results.
Deila noted improved squad health as another advantage heading into Sunday’s match: “Now we have consistency,” he said. “We don’t have many players come up with injuries or different things. We have the same selections every week, and that is important to get success.”
