Training Ground Notebook: Mihaj Says This Atlanta United Is Better Than the One That Started the Season
Enea Mihaj and Tristan Muyumba on what the break was for, why the new faces fit so fast, Breel Embolo's hold-up play and what it'll take against Cincinnati on Saturday. Atlanta United's back from the international break with seven matches left and a playoff spot still in reach. The club had last weekend off while six players were away on national team duty: Miguel Almirón, Alexey Miranchuk, Júnior Alonso, Paulo Díaz, Fafa Picault and Cooper Sánchez.
After training Tuesday, Enea Mihaj didn't dance around where he thinks this group stands.
"I don't like to hide anything," Mihaj said. "Right now the level of the players we have is better than what we had at the start of the season. I don't like to hide it, so that's the truth, and you can see it on the field also."
Training report
With the international break behind them, Atlanta United completed its session Tuesday morning with almost the entire squad working with the team.
Cooper Sánchez and Paulo Díaz were the only players not training with the group. Miguel Almirón and Júnior Alonso both trained normally with the team. Everyone else was on the field and participating in training.
What the break was for
With no match last weekend and six players away, the rest of the squad split the time between recovery and work on the training ground.
"We had some rest, and we also trained a little bit to maintain the rhythm and to work on some stuff," Tristan Muyumba said.
Nothing new went in, though. It was about polishing what's already there.
"It was more about refining some stuff we've been going through during the season, and just to train more, to keep the rhythm, and to add some habits to our shape," Muyumba said.
The other items on the list were in the press: positioning details, and how to press higher with organization.
Muyumba pointed to the 1-0 win over Portland as the template. "In this game against Portland, I think we started the game pretty well, and we also finished the game strong," he said. "Everyone fought for each other... That's obviously one of the games we have to build on until the end of the season."
Why the new faces fit so fast
Asked about the summer's turnover with thirteen roster changes, and how quickly the five new arrivals settled in, Mihaj gave a direct answer.
"Probably because they speak the same language. That's the main reason," he said. "It's not easy when you have a team with many players from different countries speaking different languages. It's not easy at all."
He also described what it's meant for the back line. "The players who are behind feel safer in situations because there are not so many transitions and we keep the ball more."
And his own Spanish? "Better and better."
The midfield
Mauricio Amaro has drawn praise from both sides of the ball. Mihaj called him the kind of midfielder a center back wants in front of him.
"Amaro is a player that, as a defender, you love to have because he helps a lot in different parts," Mihaj said. "He is more of a holding midfielder, so he gives this balance to the team. But at the same time, he has a lot of quality, so he can help in the first phase."
Muyumba, who's played next to him, pointed to how quickly Amaro adjusted after a stretch without training or playing. "He adapted pretty well to the league, to the level, and to the demands of this league," Muyumba said. "We can see his composure with the ball and also his ability to turn the play and to be there defensively, to help the center backs."
Giuliano Galoppo brings something different. Mihaj described him as "a player who likes to enter the box."
Muyumba was quick to widen the conversation beyond himself, Amaro and Galoppo. "It's not just about us three," he said, adding that "the competition between us is pretty nice."
With five substitutions, he said, that depth matters as much as the starting group. "Having five substitutions now can completely change the face of the team because it's almost half of the team that you can change," Muyumba said. "Now it's crucial in football. Not just the guys who start, but also the guys who can finish the game."
The back line
Mihaj was asked about the competition with Díaz, Alonso and Tomas Jacob. He framed it the same way.
"Everybody wants to play, but we are teammates. We work for the same target," he said. "I try to work on my weak points. I try to help the team with the strong points I have in my game. Then all of the decisions are the manager's, and we have to respect them."
Getting more out of Embolo
Both players singled out Breel Embolo's ability to hold the ball. Muyumba noted he can "play with his back to goal and to hold the ball, to help the team go up and move forward, and also switch the play."
Mihaj said that gives Atlanta an answer when teams press high and man-to-man. He also said the team isn't using Embolo enough.
"He's doing really well, and I think we also need to use him even more," Mihaj said. "One of the points we are trying to improve is crossing more into the box for him... It's not easy to get the ball one or two times in the box and just score. He needs to get more balls."
Cincinnati, and 21 points
Saturday brings Cincinnati, a side both players described as built to press and break.
"Cincinnati is always a tough team to play. They have a lot of individual quality," Muyumba said.
Mihaj sees a chance on the other side of that press. "They leave enough space behind," he said. "So we need to take advantage of that."
As for the math, Mihaj kept it simple. "Seven games is 21 points, so it's enough points," he said. He pointed back to the D.C. match as the standard for effort, even without the result. "We didn't win the game, but we did everything to win the game."
"Everyone believes that we can do it," Mihaj said. "We are not that far, so we can do it."
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