Can Andrew Gutman’s ‘good’ golazo present the spark for Gonzalo Pineda’s Atlanta United?

You solely want a spark to ignite a flame.

After months of accidents and inconsistency, Atlanta United might have simply discovered the spark that lights up their season with Andrew Gutman’s last-minute golazo sealing a 2-1 win at house to the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.

Atlanta United is a membership that is been obsessive about ‘id’ over the previous few years, committing to possession soccer and ensuring their crew is ready up in a really particular means. Nevertheless, sitting on the surface of the MLS Cup Playoff race, the 5 Stripes simply wanted a lead to any means attainable on Saturday, and that is precisely what they obtained.

“I feel it was good. It was [the] good finish for the message that now we have been telling the gamers the final week,” head coach Gonzalo Pineda instructed reporters. “Like, we speak rather a lot about our id as a crew. We as coaches at all times message to the crew; create extra possibilities to the opponent, dominating possessions and being up entrance, dynamic, making runs in behind, and creating loads of possibilities from deeper areas in order that we create extra high quality possibilities.

“In some unspecified time in the future we stated, ‘okay, I don’t care how, however right this moment we want the three factors. I don’t care whether it is with dominating possession, nice. If we rating a objective on the final minute, let’s do it.’ Then Andrew gave us that. It was the right ending for my message earlier than the sport. So, it was only a good ending for a recreation that most likely we might have performed higher, however as a result of circumstances in all that, I assumed it was an excellent victory for the crew.”

Whereas the factors might show important to Atlanta on the finish and the style of the victory made it really feel that a lot sweeter – evidenced by the manic celebrations round Mercedes-Benz Stadium – it would be unwise to depend on moments like this from unlikely sources because the regular-season attracts to its conclusion.

“I didn’t even consider it after I scored it. I don’t have that ability set so don’t anticipate it once more,” joked Gutman.

Even so, this arguably goes down as Atlanta United’s greatest win of the Pineda period to this point. If it is to essentially imply one thing and be remembered as a turning level for this membership, it should function a reminder of what this crew is able to transferring ahead.

“I feel it’s only a confidence booster,” stated Gutman. “Yeah, I scored the objective, however these guys performed their hearts for 90 minutes. I got here in for 10 minutes and helped the crew, and now we have been enjoying nice soccer, however now we have to begin capitalizing on targets and possibilities, and I feel we can be okay.”

The 5 Stripes now sit twelfth within the Jap Convention, however simply two factors adrift of the Playoff spots with a recreation much less performed than most of their rivals. Up subsequent is a visit to FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

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