Could Almada’s golazo vs. D.C. United ignite his disappointing season?

Thiago Almada and Atlanta United appeared destined for a 0-0 draw at D.C. United on Wednesday night.

It was a rather inconspicuous performance for Almada at times: he’d already picked up a yellow card in the 18th minute, his fifth of the season, equaling a suspension for Saturday’s match against St. Louis CITY SC.

But in just 15 seconds, Almada changed the narrative of the match and showed why he’s still one of the most gifted players in MLS.

“When I passed [Matti Peltola], I started to think about putting a shot on goal,” Almada said through a translator after the match. The first option was to try to look for a through ball, but there wasn’t enough space, so I decided to shoot.”

“We talked about commitment to the group, and that looks like commitment to me,” interim head coach Rob Valentino said. “He was trying to win second balls, he was trying to be dynamic in the attack and then he ends up showing his quality there.”

The goal comes days after a phone conversation between Almada and his “idol”, Boca Juniors president and footballing legend Juan Román Riquelme. Almada stated in an interview with TyC’s Gastón Edul that Boca hadn’t made a formal offer as of yet, a point he repeated on Wednesday.

“Right now my head is fully on Atlanta. I’m focused on turning this situation around and doing what I can to help the club,” he added.

Almada now sits on four goals and two assists in 2024. It’s well off his pace of last year when his 11g/19a stat line saw him in the MVP conversation. There will be no such discussions this season, though Wednesday’s goal served as a reminder of his capabilities and why at one point he was courting European interest before it cooled down.

It also could serve as a turning point for Almada when he returns to the lineup on June 29 against Toronto FC, although Valentino stressed shared ownership among the team.

“Whether he’s got pressure on him or not, that would be on him and how he handles it. As a staff, we try to take the pressure off all the guys, like ‘Just go and play your game and enjoy the moment’,” he said. “So I hope that he feels that the group will take the pressure off him and we can’t just rely on one person.”