Training Ground Notebook: Becoming Protagonists
- Jason Longshore
- 3 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Progress Is Visible. The Next Step Is Control.
Atlanta United returned to the training ground this week carrying a feeling that was difficult to categorize.
The result in Cincinnati hurt. Nobody avoided that reality. But inside the group, the tone was not one of correction as much as confirmation. Players spoke less about what went wrong and more about what is beginning to take shape.
For long stretches of the season opener, Atlanta United looked like a team recognizing itself.
Now comes the harder part. Learning how to finish games once control has been established.
The Performance Felt Real
Goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos described the aftermath of Saturday’s loss as “a strange feeling,” one shaped by how much of the match Atlanta believed it managed correctly.
“It’s a shame because of how the game unfolded to lose it at the end,” Hoyos said after training. “Against a very good opponent, I think we did many things well until about the 80th minute.”
That perspective has been consistent across the locker room. The defeat was not viewed internally as structural failure. Instead, players pointed to details late in the match that turned a competitive road performance into a loss.
“There were positive things and also things we need to improve,” Hoyos said. “We’re a new team still being built, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
One week into the season, Atlanta United players sound less like a group searching for answers and more like one learning how to protect performances that are already improving.
Becoming Protagonists
Throughout preseason, Tata Martino repeatedly returned to one word when describing what he wanted from this team and from individual players.
Protagonists.
Not passengers inside matches. Not players reacting to moments. Players willing to influence games.
That message surfaced again this week through one of the youngest players on the roster.
Cooper Sanchez said Martino’s feedback after his first MLS start in Cincinnati was encouraging but direct.
“He told me good job, good work,” Sanchez said. “But also that I need to be more of a protagonist. Take my chances more and add goals and assists to my game.”
For Sanchez, the instruction represents the next stage of his development. The Homegrown midfielder has already earned trust through composure, pressing work, and decision making in possession. Now the expectation shifts toward impact.
“I want to be a key contributor and help the team win games,” Sanchez said. “A big thing for me is adding goals and assists.”
The idea extends beyond one player. Atlanta United’s tactical identity under Martino depends on individuals taking responsibility within the collective structure. Midfielders must press aggressively, advance play forward, and recover possession immediately after mistakes.
As Sanchez described the coaching message to the midfield group, the expectation is simple. Play forward, press relentlessly, and do not be afraid of errors while trying to influence the match.
The system asks players to step into moments rather than avoid them.
Tata’s Ideas Are Becoming Clear
What stood out most from Wednesday’s conversations was how consistently players across positions described their roles.
From the goalkeeper organizing buildup to young midfielders pushing higher up the field, the language sounded aligned.
Hoyos explained that his responsibility begins with structure.
“He asks me to bring order and help us play out from the back,” Hoyos said. “My role is to contribute wherever the team needs me.”
Atlanta United wants control through possession, aggression after turnovers, and confidence playing out of pressure. Those concepts are no longer theoretical. Players now describe them with clarity that suggests the ideas are settling into daily habits.
The evolution is visible both in training and increasingly in matches.
Young Players Growing Into Responsibility
Sanchez’s start in Cincinnati represented another step in Atlanta United’s long-term investment in its development pathway.
The 17 year old approached the moment calmly, saying he began to sense during the week that he would be in the lineup and felt prepared when the opportunity arrived.
“I’ve been pushed to play up age groups since the academy,” Sanchez said. “It helped me learn how to deal with bigger, faster players by thinking one step ahead.”
That progression is intentional inside the club. Younger players are not simply filling minutes. They are being asked to influence games within a demanding tactical framework.
Veterans recognize their role in that process as well. Hoyos noted that part of his responsibility includes helping younger teammates adapt and supporting players across the squad wherever needed.
Atlanta United is building experience and expectation at the same time.
The Next Lesson: Closing Matches
If there was one recurring theme after training, it centered on game management.
Atlanta United believes it competed well in Cincinnati. The frustration comes from allowing the match to shift late.
“We have to improve closing games, especially away from home,” Hoyos said. “Those details ended up costing us.”
For a newly assembled group, those moments often become the final stage of growth. Defensive coordination, shared understanding, and collective calm typically arrive through repetition rather than instruction.
Atlanta United does not appear concerned about how it wants to play.
The focus now is learning how to sustain control when matches reach decisive moments.
Leadership Taking Shape
Another development quietly emerging inside the squad involves leadership structure, particularly around captain Miguel Almirón.
Hoyos explained that part of the group’s responsibility is ensuring Almirón can focus primarily on influencing matches on the field.
“Our job is to help with things off the field so Miguel can focus on leading on the field,” Hoyos said. “If he’s fully focused there, it helps all of us.”
It reflects a locker room beginning to organize itself, distributing responsibility while allowing its most influential player to impact games where it matters most.
Where Things Stand Now
Atlanta United is still learning each other in practical ways.
Hoyos acknowledged that communication across the back line continues to develop as new teammates adjust to languages, tendencies, and timing.
“We’re getting to know each other little by little,” he said. “Communication is very important, and we’re adapting.”
One match into the season, the picture coming out of the training ground is relatively clear.
The identity is forming. The ideas are understood. Younger players are being trusted to step forward as protagonists inside the system.
The next step is turning that progress into results when matches reach their most demanding moments.