The Preseason First Reaction: Atlanta United vs New England Revolution

Atlanta United’s second preseason game in Bradenton, Florida kicked off Saturday against New England Revolution at the sprawling IMG Academy campus. Under a beautiful, breezy coastal sky the Five Stripes fielded a very strong starting XI, including one guy named Miguel Almiron whose visa situation is all sorted. Another set piece goal and a banger from Mateusz Klich sealed the deal as Atlanta emerged the 2-0 victors. Here are the final whistle thoughts live from IMG Academy!

Strong starting XI

The fans have been wanting to see him back in action, and today was the first viewing of Miguel Almiron back in an Atlanta United kit playing an actual soccer match. But that wasn’t the only highlight of the starting XI. Alexey Miranchuk, Bartek Slisz, Mateusz Klich, and Brad Guzan all featured in the opening 45, while an upcoming Dom Chong Qui had another stellar shift.

For Miggy’s part, though, he started – on paper – as a right winger, but he basically played everywhere. The majority of the time he shifted inside as a number 10, but essentially floated where he was needed. He had a handful of line-breaking runs and half chances created, and overall seemed to be the dynamic, fun attacker Atlanta fans remember. The amount of space he helped create for Miranchuk and Thiare was just what the doctor ordered.

Preseason visa and green card status

While it’s more directly tied to the preseason as a whole and not the match itself, the fact that Miguel Almiron’s visa is finished is a good sign. Emmanuel Latte Lath’s visa is expected to be done by February 22, though that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be ready to play. Bartek Slisz and Stian Gregersen have also both received their green cards, which opens up a couple of international slots for Atlanta United.

Visa watch is always an uncertain time for fans, but it’s simply the nature of the game. Atlanta’s $22 million dollar signing of Latte Lath now appears to be moving much more rapidly than previously thought, which is a good sign for the first few matches of the MLS Season.

Controlling the match

New England Revolution never really seemed comfortable throughout the match. The first 45 minutes saw Atlanta create multiple chances, three shots on target, four corners, and control the majority of possession. The Revs had a couple of potential moments but nothing incredibly dangerous.

Atlanta’s set piece goal from Miranchuk to Thiare put the pressure further on New England to press higher, giving players like Miggy, Saba, and Miranchuk more room to operate. The discipline in Ronny Deila’s system has been progressing well over each preseason match, and being here in person to hear the players over communicating is a good sign. Both Thiare’s set piece goal and Mateusz Klich’s open-play goal were the direct result of serious pressure on New England, and the players looked much more organized with that intensity.

The second set of players that subbed in at approximately the 70th minute didn’t relent much, either, which is very encouraging. Cayman Togashi kept the center backs honest and Edwin Mosquera with Xande Silva provided some dynamism moving forward. There were a few mistakes, but nothing that stood out as problematic. Mostly, the second group just helped carry the win over the line and sometimes that’s all you need.

Let us know down below what you thought of the match!