Thiago Almada enjoys MLS debut with Atlanta United

After feeling anxiety while in Argentina waiting on his visa so that he could join Atlanta United, Thiago Almada said he got goosebumps when he took the field for the first time in the second half of Sunday’s win against Charlotte.

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“It was amazing,” he said. “I felt like I was being filled with joy, and I want to return that joy to the fans.”

His debut in MLS was an important step – and Almada used the phrase “step by step” many times Tuesday in his first interview at the training ground – in a journey to the club that started more than a year ago. In addition to the time it took to negotiate, Atlanta United waited on a legal process that included Almada to end before it completed the transfer.

Once that was done, Almada joined the club in Mexico for about a week during the preseason before he had to go back to Argentina to secure his work visa. That took a month. He returned last week, had one training session with the club and took the field in the 56th minute of Sunday’s 2-1 win against Charlotte at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“I wanted to be here,” he said. “I wanted to get to know everybody. It worked out well in the end. I’m here. I’m ready to fight for everything that we have to fight for.”

Almada finished with 18 touches in his 34 minutes. He was on the field for both of Atlanta United’s goals but didn’t contribute to either. He said it was a good introduction to the pace and level of the team and the league. He said that manager Gonzalo Pineda gave him confidence and reminded him that this is a process. Almada said he felt confident and had fun.

Because Almada and his teammates have had so little time to train together, Pineda said he doesn’t yet know if Almada’s best position is as an attacking midfielder or as a winger. He played both, interchanging with Marcelino Moreno, against Charlotte. He played mostly as an attacking midfielder at Velez Sarsfield in Argentina, where he scored 24 goals with 10 assists in 100 appearances.

“I feel OK about that,” Almada said. “I trust him a lot. I know that he understands my game, and he is going to find the best fit for me. I felt good playing on the left.”

Almada said he is fine with the integration into the team being a process, rather than him being penciled in as an automatic starter from Day 1. The team will host Montreal on Saturday, which will be Almada’s next opportunity to play.

“It’s normal,” he said. “I’m getting here. I need to adapt step by step. I had the same process in Velez, so I’m confident that this is the right way to do it.”

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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule

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March 5 Colorado 3, Atlanta United 0