Atlanta United has spent a lot of time during this week’s training sessions trying to improve its defending of set pieces, manager Gonzalo Pineda said Thursday. The team will host Chicago on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The team gave up a goal in Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Montreal when Kamal Miller headed in a free kick from close range. It was the fifth goal from a set piece (non-penalty kick) allowed by the team through nine games. The team has allowed 13 goals this season. Chicago has yet to score on a set piece this season.
“It’s not about, for me, the height on this,” Pineda said. “The concentration and working together and the intensity and the mentality that we put on set pieces is everything we do in football.”
Fullback Andrew Gutman said something similar after the defeat at Stade Saputo.
“It’s not who’s more skillful or who’s a better player,” he said. “It’s just who wants it more, and for us it’s life or death inside the box. We have to get to a mentality where there’s no chance that you’re going to win the ball over me. There’s no chance that you’re going to push me and you’re going to get the first header on it. And I think that’s just kind of what we’re lacking right now.”
Don’t expect the team to switch from the zonal marking that Pineda prefers to a man-marking system. He said he doesn’t think the team is leaking goals because of the tactic.
“I‘m not big on making dramatic changes to things I think we haven’t been that bad in certain moments,” he said. “I think it’s more the application of one or two things that we need to fix.”
He hinted there may be some change to how they defend set pieces, saying he will talk about that after Saturday’s game.
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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule
Feb. 27 Atlanta United 3, Sporting KC 1
March 5 Colorado 3, Atlanta United 0
March 13 Atlanta United 2, Charlotte 1
March 19 Atlanta United 3, Montreal 3
April 2 Atlanta United 1, D.C. United 0
April 10 Charlotte 1, Atlanta United 0
April 16 Atlanta United 0, Cincinnati 0
April 24 Miami 2, Atlanta United 1
April 30 Montreal 2, Atlanta United 1
May 7 vs. Chicago, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 15 vs. New England, 1:30 p.m., ESPN
May 21 at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. FOX
May 28 vs. Columbus Crew, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 19 vs. Miami, 3 p.m., ESPN2
June 25 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 30 at New York Red Bulls, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 3 at NYCFC, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 9 vs. Austin, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 13 vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 17 vs. Orlando, 3 p.m., ABC
July 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 9:30 p.m., FS1
July 30 at Chicago, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 6 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., ABC
Aug. 13 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 21 at Columbus, 6 p.m., FS1
Aug. 28 vs. D.C. United, 4 p.m., UNIV
Aug. 31 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m., FS1
Sept. 4 at Portland, 5:30 p.m., FOX
Sept. 10 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 14 at Orlando, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 17 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 1 at New England, 1 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 9 vs. NYCFC, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
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