Atlanta United has found a road formula that works

For most of the past five seasons, Atlanta United has performed poorly on the road, taking 65 of a possible 222 points.

That poor form ended with a 1-0 win at Charlotte on Aug. 31. That win seemed to spark something in Atlanta United, from which it has a found a warrior’s form, taking 14 of a possible 21 points from its past seven matches away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Two of those wins came in the playoffs in its MLS playoffs wild-card victory at Montreal, and its deciding Game 3 win at Inter Miami.

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With no home games possible, Atlanta United will take its new road act to Orlando on Sunday for the Eastern Conference semifinals. If it wins, it will play at one of the New York teams in the Eastern Conference finals. If it wins there, it will head West to one of four locations for the MLS Cup. Three more road matches. Three more opportunities.

“There’s not one thing,” interim manager Rob Valentino said. “It’s really having our own internal belief. That’s not a tactical answer, but we have a belief in ourselves that, again, the home or away it shouldn’t affect them in the ways that people might think because we talked about blocking out the noise anyways.”

Valentino is being slightly modest.

Belief is important.

But Atlanta United has changed its tactics on the road.

Instead of being the team that always wants the ball, that tries to play pretty soccer, Atlanta United has learned how to grind, how to do the dirty running, as captain Brad Guzan likes to describe playing without the ball.

This season, in the 14 road matches before it played at Charlotte, Atlanta United averaged 47% possession, scored 10 goals while allowing 18, took 175 shots, while allowing 200, and put 54 shots on target while allowing 64. Those are averages of 47% possession, 0.7 goals scored while allowing 1.3, taking 12.5 shots while allowing 14.3, and putting 3.8 shots per game on goal while allowing 4.6.

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In the seven away matches starting at Charlotte, Atlanta United is averaging 38.7% possession, 12 goals scored while allowing 10, 78 shots taken while allowing 135, and putting 24 shots on target while allowing 60. Those are averages of 38.7% possession, 1.7 goals scored while allowing 1.4, taking 11.1 shots while allowing 19.3, and putting 3.4 shots on goal while allowing 8.6.

The offense, with the ball less often, became more efficient. The defense, working longer because of the decreased possession, became more pliant but less porous.

“I think, (we’ve) gotten more comfortable as the season has gone on, as a team that sits deep, absorbs a little bit of pressure, defends well, stays compact, and then can use our pace in transition and when the game gets open, that tends to to be a positive for us,” midfielder Dax McCarty said.

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Its final win against Miami at Chase Stadium provided three good examples. On each goal, two by Jamal Thiare and the winner by Bartosz Slisz, Atlanta United struck quickly. On each of the first two goals, McCarty took advantage of Miami losing the ball in attack by splitting its midfield and its back line with a pass into space in front of the goal. On the final, Atlanta United won possession in its half of the field and quickly broke down field. Pedro Amador played a cross to Slisz, whose header gave his team a 3-2 lead.

That style of play wasn’t an important or reliable part of Atlanta United’s tactics before Valentino was promoted.

Orlando will want to have the ball Sunday. It tried to dominate possession in Atlanta United’s win Oct. 19 on Decision Day, which was one of the road matches during its current successful streak. Atlanta United had less possession (36.8), took fewer shots (21-9) and put fewer shots on goal (5-10), but won 2-1. Pedro Amador surprised Orlando’s defense with a backheeled through pass to Saba Lobjanidze, who scored the first goal, and Thiare pounced on a loose ball on a corner kick to give Atlanta United a two-goal lead through 16 minutes.

Though it can be nerve-wracking for the supporters, Atlanta United doesn’t seem likely to change what has been working Sunday.

Valentino seems to have found a style of play that works for it in road matches. Its one that it may keep using as long as its road march continues.

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“It’s funny because you watch all the other playoff games, and you see little things that teams are doing differently,” Valentino said. “I think it’s just the importance of each play, and I love that we’ve been touching on that for so long now, that each moment, each action, is really important, because now it is for everybody. It is you win or go home. So those one that one action that you switch off for a second, and that could be a goal against you or a goal for you. So that’s really been the only thing that’s really changed.”

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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule

Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0

March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1

March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0

March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0

March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0

April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1

April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2

April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1

April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1

May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1

May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in U.S. Open Cup