Improving fitness has been the goal for Atlanta United’s first preseason sessions, winger Saba Lobjanidze and midfielder Mateusz Klich said Friday.
“Run,” Lobjanidze said when asked the camp’s goal.
That jibed with manager Ronny Deila saying last week that improving fitness was one of the primary goals for the camp, which will include five exhibition matches ahead of the season-opening match against Montreal on Feb. 22.
Friday’s was the fourth session. The team hasn’t started working on Deila’s concepts. Lobjanidze and Klich said they know that Deila want them to play aggressively and he wants to win. That was the summation of his first meeting with the players before the opening session Monday.
“Just suffocate opponents because that’s a good way of playing football, and that’s it, and everyone will do the best to do it,” Klich said. “But as I said, it’s only been couple of days, so it’s a long way for us, and we be ready.”
Lobjanidze and Klich may be important parts of that plan. Lobjanidze scored 10 goals with seven assists in the regular season and playoffs. He has the speed, stamina and desire to press. He said he spent the offseason running and playing soccer with his Georgian national teammates during the offseason to prepare for this season.
Klich, acquired in a trade with D.C. United during the offseason, said he’s very comfortable playing a pressing style. He described it as defending forward, something he did very well at Leeds United, where he played before joining D.C. United and making 63 appearances with six goals.
Klich said he wants to start and expects to win the MLS Cup. He wouldn’t disclose if he wanted to be traded by D.C. United, but he said he is happy to be at Atlanta United. Klich is in competition with Jay Fortune and Tristan Muyumba to start in central midfield.
“I’m a player who likes to play football, likes to play position football,” Klich said. “I play high, aggressive, pressing football, and I like to have a ball in my feet. I will run a lot. I will, I will work hard for the team, and I will create chances because that’s what I do, and I will do everything I can to help the team to win matches and eventually win the league. So I’m excited because the organization, the facilities, the club and the players, it’s, it’s better than I thought.”
Absences. Deila and several players didn’t participate in Friday’s session.
Deila was absent because he was securing his work visa. Assistant Carl Robinson appeared to run the session.
Goalkeeper Josh Cohen was sick. Centerback Stian Gregersen and midfielder Bartosz Slisz were working on securing their green cards, which will free international slots.
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