Atlanta United hit the street for sport one in a best-of-three MLS Cup playoffs sequence towards Columbus Crew, inspiring head coach Gonzalo Pineda to problem his gamers within the particular person battles they’re going to face at Decrease.com Discipline.
One essential particular person for Atlanta, the MLS assists chief Thiago Almada, is ready to overlook the competition after being despatched off within the second half towards FC Cincinnati on Determination Day.
Almada stands because the 5 Stripes’ finest participant and integral to how Pineda desires his aspect to function, making a query of: Will Pineda select one other participant to play in his position, or will he change the formation up completely for sport one earlier than Almada is again for sport two?
The pinnacle coach defined that there’s one participant specifically that would change into Atlanta’s quantity 10 for a sport:
“Yeah, it is one of many potentialities. Once more, it is actually exhausting to duplicate precisely the standard that Thiago has. So, we’ve got to rely extra on the workforce,” Pineda stated when requested concerning the Georgia worldwide Saba Lobjandize taking over a extra artistic position.
The previous Seattle Sounders assistant additionally went on to say that the 5 Stripes attempt to play as extra of a workforce than counting on one sole participant, however that the 22-year-old’s particular person high quality helps a lot within the remaining third.
“We usually try this (enjoying as a workforce). However particularly for that space of the sphere, the place Thiago simply takes care of that space, and is artistic. However we’ll give you an excellent plan.”
Atlanta scored 66 objectives throughout all the common season, solely second-best to their first spherical opponents Columbus Crew. Each groups prefer to play the sport on their phrases with possession, suffocating groups deep in their very own half.
“It is a good battle, when it comes to ways, when it comes to gamers, as nicely… [There’s] related rosters, related concepts… at occasions when this [matchup] occurs I say it is as much as the gamers. It is much more as much as, you realize, ‘that is my particular person battle right here,'” he stated.
“Who’s gonna win that battle? Who’s gonna need it extra? Who actually desires to succed? At occasions it is about that, in these kind of video games the place you in all probability neutralize one another with ways,” he added.
Recreation one is ready for November 1 at Decrease.com Discipline, as Atlanta appears to be like to upset the Crew with out their star midfielder.
