Atlanta United fell to a disappointing 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls in their opening match of the MLS Is Back Tournament – with three noticeable questions looming large.
Are the roster changes an upgrade?
A forth-minute strike from New York’s Florian Valot proved enough to separate the two sides and give the Red Bulls all three points. The result will do little to please Atlanta Head Coach Frank De Boer, who has overseen several roster changes in 2020.
Perhaps more concerning for fans of the Five Stripes was the unusually underwhelming performance. Despite a late surge of pressure, Atlanta’s characteristic pressing game was lacking – as was the pace at which they tend to move the ball.
One such reason may be the lack of recent playing time after the league was suspended. However, the following weeks will reveal how effective Atlanta’s recruitment has been. Specifically, whether the replacement players are upgrades on those who have left.
Since the end of the 2019 season, Atlanta have seen several key players depart. Captain Michael Parkhurst retired, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez was transfered to Liga MX’s Tijuana (before returning to Inter Miami), and Darlington Nagbe moved to the Columbus Crew.
Whilst Parkhurst may not have been a regular on the field last year, the veteran did provide invaluable experience and guidance in the locker room. His impact on the younger players, such as Miles Robinson, George Bello and George Campbell, cannot be understated.
Meanwhile, the wisdom of replacing Gonzalez Pirez with Ferando Meza remains to be seen. Another defender, Anton Walkes, re-signed from Portsmouth, but Florentin Pogba returned to France.
Is there a problem in central midfield?
Nagbe signing for Columbus was a huge loss. A crucial component of Atlanta’s success story, and one of the most talented central midfielders in MLS, Nagbe has not been replaced.
It had long been believed that Nagbe wished for a return to his family in Ohio and a reunion with Caleb Porter. Atlanta arguably had the better part of a year to find a like-for-like replacement.
The arrivals of Mo Adams, Matheus Rossetto, Emerson Hyndman and Jake Mulraney are bodies to go alongside Eric Remedi and the aging Jeff Larentowicz. However, none rival Nagbe for impact, quality or ability to move defense into attack.
How to live without Josef Martinez?
Despite the disappointment, Atlanta did create scoring chances against New York. The biggest of them fell to Manuel Castro. The midfielder miss-hit from close range, sending the ball wide and high of the posts.
Atlanta’s reliance on Josef Martinez to provide the goals has been clear since the Venezuelan striker ruptured his ACL in February. There are two other center-forwards on the roster, but neither Adam Jahn or J.J. Williams have yet proved to be at the required level.
Whether De Boer can rely on using either Pity Martinez or Ezequiel Barco as a makeshift striker is still unknown. Alternatively, President Darren Eales may need to show his creativity in the transfer market by looking at potential unattached signings to come in and support a Martinez-less Atlanta United.
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