Atlanta United’s first training session of 2026 kicked off Monday at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground, marking our first glances at Tata Martino’s second iteration of the Five Stripes. Media had access to the first few minutes of the chilly training session before talking with Miguel Almiron and Emmanuel Latte Lath, both of whom were among the first few players out on the pitch. Here are our initial observations from Marietta as Atlanta United prepares to put last year in the rear view.
I’ll never sit here and try to make sweeping claims about anything from watching what essentially equates to the team’s first warm-ups of 2026. However, I can definitively say that the intensity and overall organization was much improved. For example, throughout the first drill, Tata and his assistants immediately started calling out inaccurate passes and rough first touches, prioritizing the smallest of details. After the first whistle, a few of the players had a moment to catch their breath and meandered around, but were immediately brought back to attention as the second set began much quicker than it seemed anyone assumed.
We also saw Tata already taking players to the side in between drills to give one-on-one teaching and explanations. Miguel Almiron later noted Tata’s attention to everything and how much he learned throughout his first stint at the club, and said the rest of the squad will benefit from how much experience he’s able to share.
Almiron, for his part, didn’t reveal a ton about how he’s expecting the Designated Players to be employed this season, but did emphasize how much he enjoys that free-roaming role and how he and Tata have discussed being utilized. He also stated he knows Tata will set both he and Alexey up in a successful manner after being asked about how they tend to occupy similar spaces.
Latte Lath spoke about his offseason and how he used the time to completely refresh and step away entirely after having played nonstop for over a full year. He mentioned how the team struggled to find connections last season, saying that it didn’t have anything to do with he, Alexey Miranchuk, and Miguel Almiron not having time together in the preseason. Overall, the 2025 season taught him “how to suffer” again after having a really good three years prior, and said his expectations for himself are very high as he’ll bring everything he can to the team in 2026.
Latte Lath also stated he and Tata spoke briefly before his vacation, but even in the first moments back at the training ground he’s grateful that Tata is very direct and says exactly what he wants.
“The energy he gives to the team…he says something straight and direct. He doesn’t treat you like a baby, I’m not a baby so I like when people tell me the truth in the face.”
The session and presser come off the back of the morning’s news that Ronald Hernández has been signed to another one year contract with an option for 2027, though he wasn’t available at this first training session along with Jamal Thiaré, both due to sickness. Jay Fortune, whose rehab is progressing positively, is also still out.
Be sure to check back in on ScarvesAndSpikes.com as we cover the 2026 preseason, and leave your thoughts below. Also, head on over to Patreon here for Tyler and Henry’s full recap of the day’s session and news!
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Sounds like LL needed two things: 1, some downtime and 2, a coach to tell it to him straight. Deila wasn’t exactly a beat around the bush kind of guy but I get the sense the players didn’t respect him.
I think there’s a sense that he also didn’t exactly go out of his way to improve relationships with some other folks in and around the club. Seems overall it just wasn’t the fit anyone thought it’d be.
Tata is a known factor and basically described by everyone as just a good guy, and we already know how good he is tactically
Weird…seemed like an obviously terrible choice from the get go. The guy had the charisma and charm of a turnip and shows up in Atlanta not even wearing a smidge of kit. What transpired is exactly what seemed most likely.
Which one are you referring to, LL or Deila?
AU has a history of driving managers out they don’t feel are leading the team, look at what happened to Heinze and to a degree, Pineda. I was at the last game of the season of 2025 and heard Brad speak…that was the sound and tone of someone who had helped the team drive Deila out. I had my assumptions and bias, but it felt clear as day after he addressed the remaining fans.
LL needs synergy with his team and may need a bit more time…not all strikers can just come in and drive. Miggy and Miranchuk always felt like they were in each others way, and the regression of other players were stark, but this wasn’t just them not knowing how to play or now “sucking”…it was clearly leadership. let’s get some good leadership in and then judge these players for what they are.
Deila
I would also partly disagree with the chemistry…yes, partly manager driven…also styles of play, personailitiex, career trajectory, the way other players fit in specifically with those styles and tendencies. Yes, managers do have influence…managers are also not miracle workers and there is very much a hard kind of reality in roster construction, org culture, etc. Wrt Deila, I was very clear from day 1 that was a terrible hire and definitely contributed to the issues.
Fortune’s still rehabbing? When will he be back?
he had a broken foot if I am not mistaken. I would assume coming back from that is harder for a soccer player when you literally run miles per match
He was still on a scooter at the last home match of the season so it’s not surprising, but I’m told he’s progressing very well. No timeline yet though but essentially once he’s done with rehab and his conditioning is set, he could rejoin main training