Atlanta United interim manager Stephen Glass wants to turn the MLS club back into an attacking team, starting with Saturday’s game against Nashville at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Unleashing Pity Martinez is one of the keys to changing that attack from the one that hasn’t scored in 395 minutes to one that hopes to jump on opponents quickly. To try to figure out how to best use the mercurial midfielder, Glass said he has watched film of him playing at his previous club, River Plate. Glass said he is doing more homework than usual because he wants to try to put not only Martinez but Ezequiel Barco, the other healthy Designated Players, into the best positions to succeed.
“They are fantastic players who can be used slightly different to get more out of them,” Glass said. “They are willing to do it.”
Martinez has lacked consistency since he signed with Atlanta United ahead of the 2019 season, just a few weeks after leading River Plate to the Copa Libertadores and being named the 2018 South American Player of the Year.
Adapting to a new country, league, club, coach and teammates, Martinez finished with five goals and nine assists in 32 appearances. Pressing a bit too much early in the season, he seemed to relax and find his footing in the season’s final one-third, and carried that good form over into the first games this season, with two assists in the first two league games. But, like the rest of the team, he struggled in the tournament in Orlando.
In hindsight, part of his struggles may have been the result of the tactics used by previous manager Frank de Boer. Martinez said Thursday that he respected de Boer even if he and some of his teammates didn’t agree with his preferred style of play, which was more deliberate.
Martinez said he hopes to develop a positive relationship with Glass and that he appreciates his approach to play attacking soccer.
“As players we are at the order of the coach,” Martinez said. “It’s never good when a coach has to leave. It’s a decision the club made. The training sessions and communications session with Glass have been going well. With Frank, training sessions went well. On game days, we were not able to carry things out.”
Glass hasn’t tipped his hand as to what position Martinez will play or what he gleaned from watching video of him at River Plate and his games with Atlanta United.
“There are ways to set up teams for certain individuals that allow them to flourish, and I think those guys will know what role they’re playing more clearly (as in facing ever toward the opponent’s goal, and direct play toward them),” he said.
Martinez said he will do whatever is asked, whether it’s playing on the right wing or left wing. Martinez’s best moments in Orlando came late in the second half of the opening game against the Red Bulls when he was on the left wing, pinging in cross after cross.
Centerback Miles Robinson said that in training sessions, Martinez and Barco are finding pockets of space where they can receive the ball, turn and attack the back lines.
Martinez may be helped by central midfielder Emerson Hyndman, who said Wednesday that he is being given the freedom to move higher up the pitch where he can interact with the wingers and strikers.
“It helps all of us because we want to be attacking,” Martinez said.
It’s part of Glass’ hope to bring back the scoring and win as many games as possible.
“We come in knowing guys haven’t scored a goal in a few games,” Glass said. “There is an abundance of talent that can score goals. The mindset shift is trying to make them more forward thinking. Their first thought is ‘can we score? Can we beat the other team?’ We aren’t going to wait around.”
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Atlanta United coming games
Saturday vs. Nashville, 7 p.m. (Fox Sports South)
Aug. 26 at Miami, 8 p.m. (Fox Sports South)
Aug. 29 vs. Orlando, 3:30 p.m. (Univision)
Sept. 2 vs. Miami, 7 p.m. (FS1)
Sept. 5 at Orlando, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Sept. 12 at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. (Fox Sports South)
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