Atlanta United vs New England Revolution Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta Saturday, July 17, 5:00 PM ESPN MLSsoccer.com preview here. AJC.com preview here. ATLUTD.com preview here. NER preview here. Player Availability Atlanta OUT: Emerson Hyndman (torn ACL) OUT: Franco Ibarra (lower body) OUT: George Bello (international duty) OUT: Brad Guzan (international duty) OUT: Miles Robinson (international duty) OUT: Ezequiel Barco (international duty) QUESTIONABLE: Josef Martinez (fitness) QUESTIONABLE: Alan Franco (lower body) QUESTIONABLE: Matheus Rossetto (lower body) QUESTIONABLE: Jurgen Damm (lower body) QUESTIONABLE: Santiago Sosa (lower body) New England OUT: Luis Caicedo (lower body) OUT: Matt Turner (international duty) OUT: Tajon Buchanan (international duty)
First, the good news: New England is coming off a streak of 2 losses and a draw in their last three, including an shock loss to basement-dwelling Toronto and their star keeper and two other starters are out for the match. Atlanta, meanwhile, has been measurably better at home than on the road and is coming off an emotional draw-that-feels-like-a-win match in Nashville. Even Mulraney is available after having his red card overturned. If only I could stop there. Not only does Atlanta still have a several starters out due to injury or international duty, but Five Stripes faithful everywhere have been wringing their hands over the breaking news from yesterday concerning Josef and Heinze apparently having drawn lines in the sand. And it's not as if the team has been making magic on the pitch all along. Not the best timing to play against the conference leaders who are 11 points above you in the standings. IF Atlanta can somehow manage to put the drama behind them and focus on the match tomorrow, and if the emotionally charged crowd let's them focus on the game instead of the soap opera, there's at least enough to go by that says Atlanta has a punchers chance. It's not as if Barco has been a consistent game changer, and while Kann may not be Guzan he's as able a Plan B as we could ask. Moreno played his best match of the season last time out while in the middle and should be back in the same role, while the younger players like Conway and Chol showed some good efforts and enthusiasm to contribute. Under the notion that this match is still part of the longer-term team development that's underway, we should recognize sometimes the schedule means we have to play a lot of back-ups and hope those guys play as if they're grateful for the chance. If everyone can focus that way. The dangers are these: Atlanta is still thin in the midfield, such that Roberson predicts Amar Sejdic, the Montreal B-team player who's been with the team for all of 10 days, will start in the midfield. Plus, New England's Carles Gil has been having an MVP calibre season thus far, and he plus Gustavo Bou and Adam Buksa (who have more goals combined than all of Atlanta) will be the most potent offense Atlanta has seen, at a time when they lack Robinson and Bello. If Atlanta tries to bunker in to stop the Revs attack, their already anemic offense will likely look non-existent. (Cue fan chants for Josef, adding to the pressure.) My general approach to these games is focus on team defense and minimizing mistakes, then be opportunistic on offense. Hopefully the team will have seen a weakness or two they can exploit, and maybe an enthusiastic Lennon run or Moreno pass will create opportunities. Especially if Atlanta can score early, or at least come close a few times and make the half even, that should keep the crowd on the good side. I'm not particularly hopeful, but a draw would not be unheard of since the Stripes are at home. Maybe the rest of the team see this as a chance to stand tall and show the side is more than one man or the coach.
This is MLS. Even a really good team can lose on any day, and vice versa. 1-0 with a Josef Martinez goal, just to show the entire internet how wrong it can be.
I would love for you to be right, but I don't think we'll see Josef in the 18. If he hasn't been training with the squad, putting him in the 18 today would be seen as a capitulation by Heinze, and he doesn't seem to be the guy who would do that. Been a season ticket holder since the beginning, and this is the most interested I've been going to a game in a couple years. But because of what the crowd might do more than what's going on the field. If Atlanta gets a lead and wins it'll be fine. But if NE gets ahead, we'll see what the supporters sections does. Honestly, if Atlanta loses and the crowd turns on the team, I think there's a non-zero chance Heinze is fired before the game on Wednesday.
Yeah, the team could not have picked a worse week to mail out ST renewal notices. If the crowd shows preference for Josef today without knowing the full story that won't exactly help endear Heinze to any resolution or sticking with the team. So while I'm curious to see how the crowd does today I'm also very, very nervous.
Yeah, I looked at the starting lineup, and it’s clear that Heinze is losing this game on purpose. There’s no other reason to start Cube. And to leave Martinez off the team sheet entirely is just unconscionable.
I feel like we're being trolled. And I feel bad for Cubo. Heinze is setting him up for a ton of booing today. At least with Conway the fans would be supportive. Cubo will be a conduit to Heinze.
HT: ATL 0-1 NER Crowd anxiety has affected their support, as this is the weakest I can recall. Feels like Atlanta playing 11 vs 12. I don't normally chide the ref but this far he's been shoddy at best, IMO. Not even considering the goal, which we all thought for sure would be called back for handball. Atlanta showed promise at either end of the half, but had a lull after the Chol goal was called back.
FT: ATL 0-1 NER Not that NER really won the match, but it's not like Atlanta proved threatening, either. Revs definitely had the top 2-3 players on the pitch today, and the better strategy. Not really sure of Chol's role today. He was on both sides of the pitch, and often more advanced than Cubo. He also looked tired by the 70th minute. He's got talent, but today he was just a body on the pitch. Thought Moreno looked good, considering his teammates, and that newbie Sejdic did fair in the center. Defense was actually good but on the goal you could see the miscommunication as soon as the Rev wing was left open. Lennon also did well and Lopez was decent, and Franco could become a solid central defender. Apart from the goal Atlanta did well for playing shorthanded against the conference leaders, but they continue to lack production and didn't show a lot of conviction tonight. To wit... Carlos Bocanegra has driven a portion of the Atlanta fans to apathy. I'm guessing 35-37k in the stands, and the supporters end was a fraction of itself for the post match salute of players. I'm not saying there isn't hope for Heinze and this side, and truly the injuries are taking their toll, but the collective failure to take a once trophy winning side and push for more is maddening.
Bocanegra and Heinze need to go. Truly, this is all on Bocanegra and the FO. They got rid of one of the best teams ever in the league, and replaced them with a bunch of crap. Again, this is why we must become like FC Dallas and Philadelphia Union with developing players because all it takes is a couple of injuries or dud signings and the result is a pathetic team that can’t score, can’t really defend, and boring as hell. The FO are driving away the fans. And with Charlotte entering the league, they better be careful that a lot of fans don’t abandon Atlanta United for Charlotte FC. I get it, if you live in Atlanta... that’s who you’ll support... but for those of us who are closer to Charlotte than Atlanta in the first place, well, I expect a lot of fans to jump ship. Note that is the last thing I want to do. I feel like I’ve tried to will this franchise into existence way before Atlanta United was a thought in anyone’s minds. But this crap is not good enough. I’m beyond frustrated with this franchise. The last 2 years they have done everything possibly wrong that I can think of.
We were really good under Martino. We definitely regressed under deBoer. I'll withhold judgment on Heinze until after the transfer window, but there's absolutely got to be some new blood on the pitch. Heinze said in the postgame interviews that Martinez would be training with the team again tomorrow.
There's a popular idea/hypothesis that a team will ultimately take on the characteristics of their coach, and that will determine their fate. The Braves under Bobby Cox were approachable, talented, and passionate but arguably lacked the killer edge to win more than the lone World Series. Look at teams under Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Urban Meyer, Bill Bilicheck(sp?), and so on. Now look at Atlanta United. - Martino: Passionate, familial, tactically savvy, wanting to have fun, wants players to be happy but disciplined... An easy coach to love that produced an easy team to love. - de Boer: Arrived with baggage and came across as aloof. Smart, but reserved. His rapport with players and fans was professional, but strictly that. More of a boss than a leader, so the fans responded by not falling in love and thinking purely of results. - Heinze: Passionate, but also frenetic. Where Tata was excitable Gabriel is more anxious. Heinze exudes Tata's energy but de Boer's more rigid style and command structure. As a result, fans want to love him but he's giving a vibe that suggests he's not as vested; He'd seemingly rather the team do things his way than win or be happy. I'm not sure what this bodes for the team's future, but I do know the angst among fans I spoke with resonates with the vibe presented by each coach as shown above. The question now is would we as fans prefer a Tata-like character even if he didn't win, or would we be willing to take any sour-puss as long as we're celebrating trophies?
I am starting to wonder if Miguel Almiron wasn't an even bigger part of our early success than any coach.
Clubs may also hire duds/friends as coaches. It is somewhat unfair to compare Martino with the likes of de Boer or Heinze. In terms of coaching career length, for example: Martino: actively coached for 15yr, 6mo, 3d before Atlanta United time coached in clubs/national teams (Move your mouse to reveal the content) time coached in clubs/national teams (open) time coached in clubs/national teams (close) Almirante Brown - 12mo; 2nd division Platense - 12mo; 1st division; relegated Instituto - 12mo; 2nd division Libertad - 18mo Cerro Porteno - 18mo Colon - 6mo Libertad - 12mo Paraguay MNT - 48mo, 29d Newell's - 13mo, 22d Barcelona - 9mo, 25d Argentina MNT - 22mo, 23d Atlanta United - 26mo, 22d Mexico MNT - 30mo, 12d and counting de Boer: actively coached for 5yr, 10mo, 26d before Atlanta United time coached in clubs/national teams (Move your mouse to reveal the content) time coached in clubs/national teams (open) time coached in clubs/national teams (close) Ajax - 65mo, 6d Inter Milan - 2mo, 24d Crystal Palace - 2mo, 17d Atlanta - 19mo, 2d Netherlands MNT - 9mo, 7d; inactive as of today Heinze: actively coached for 3yr, 1mo, 28d before Atlanta United time coached in clubs (Move your mouse to reveal the content) time coached in clubs (open) time coached in clubs (close) Godoy Cruz - 3mo, 17d Argentinos Jrs - 13 mo, 13d; 2nd division Velez Sarsfield - 26 mo, 28d Atlanta - 7mo, 1d, and counting
I can only hope that Darren made the decision to fire Heinze after thoroughly investigating the pulse of the locker room. If the players on the whole felt there was some progress being made, and if Josef had indeed done something rash, then it would be foolish for the club to be trigger happy on yet another manager. Otherwise they have to sell the job to someone who'll think it's an untenable position. But even if Eales did discover that the project wasn't working, then once again why did it take so long? Why wasn't there an effort to intervene before the situation demanded someone get fired/traded? If they don't address that failing then how do we trust they'll get the hire right with the next guy?
Go hire Oscar Pareja. This will accomplish two goals: (1) it will ensure a return to above-average football in Atlanta regardless of what players are on the roster, and (2) it will F up Orlando's season. Win-win. And when Pareja has a good roster, he does good things (Supporters' Shield, US Open Cup, MLS is Back final). And Orlando is the first team he's ever had that spent big money. Can we afford Jesse Marsch? Would he leave the Red Bulls organization? Mid-season is a terrible time to be looking for a coach (again). Who else is available? Who else is out there that's decent and could navigate MLS's byzantine roster rules?
According to the AJC's Doug Roberson apparently Gabby had issues with all the players... Garbriel Heinze relieved of duties as Atlanta United manager (ajc.com) "Part of the decision may have come down to a person with knowledge saying that the Major League Soccer Players Association filed a grievance with the league for multiple infractions related to how Heinze handled the team’s schedule. "
Why would he come here, right now? He seems to have gotten Orlando on track and is in a good situation.
I'm not saying he would, I simply think he's a good MLS coach and checks a lot of boxes Atlanta would like. I was sad he actually went to Orlando.