ATL Standard

Atlanta United's preseason opener against Chattanooga FC provided insights for new head coach Ronny Deila. The match, held at Finley Stadium, ended in a 2-1 defeat for Atlanta United after two 45-minute halves.

“I get irritated to lose in my body, but at the same time, I understand this is the first game,” Deila commented. “We are here to practice. That’s where we are. But we want to win at the same time, and that’s why we’re a little disappointed.”

Deila fielded two different groups for each half, mixing young players with returning starters. Luke Brennan and Matt Edwards were among those who played in the first half. Atlanta United scored first with a goal from Ronan Wynne, who headed in a cross from Saba Lobjanidze.

Chattanooga responded with two goals shortly after Wynne's header. The equalizer came from a ball behind Atlanta's defense, followed by another goal from a set piece.

“Always disappointed when we lose, but the application was good,” Deila said. “They tried, and as we knew, there were going to be things we need to work on, but also a lot of good things. [Chattanooga] created almost nothing.”

Deila noted improvements during the second half: “We played better in the second half than we did in the first,” he stated. “The organization in the second half was very good."

Despite not converting more opportunities into goals, Atlanta United showed potential through plays like Edwin Mosquera’s near-equalizing volley.

“The discipline, especially in the second half, was very good,” Deila added.

Deila identified areas needing improvement: “We play too much backwards. It’s always safe, safe, safe, safe. I get bored watching it.” He emphasized playing faster and utilizing central areas more effectively.

The team must also learn to maintain leads; they conceded twice after leading 1-0 late in the match.

“We have to kill the game. And win it,” Deila said.

Looking ahead, Atlanta United will face Birmingham Legion on February 1 at Protective Stadium for their next preseason friendly.

“We need to learn from our loss here and try to improve the trends that are happening," Deila concluded.