Atlanta United: 5 things learned in dominate win over Columbus

BRONX, NY - JUNE 09: Head Coach Gerardo "u201cTata"u201d Martino gives instructions to his team during the match between New York City FC and Atlanta United FC at Yankee Stadium on June 09, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York. The match ended in a tie score of 1 to 1. (Photo by Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images) /

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FOXBOROUGH, MA – MAY 30: Atlanta United FC defender Mikey Ambrose (22) looks for help during a match between the New England Revolution and Atlanta United FC on May 30, 2018, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Revolution and Atlanta played to a 1-1 draw. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1. Strong performance by Mikey Ambrose

Squad depth is a big component of Atlanta’s lead and placement atop the Supporters Shield standings. One of the team’s starters, Greg Garza, is out for a lengthy period of time with a shoulder injury. As a result, Mikey Ambrose is getting a lot of playing time in place of Garza.

Ambrose has five appearances this season and four starts, with three starts and four appearances in the last four matches alone. And that’s just in league play, as Ambrose also got the nod for last week’s Open Cup match. He is not just a body on the field though. Ambrose is connecting well with his teammates and is playing well both offensively and defensively.

It is clear the young American is in favor with Martino, who continues to reward him with minutes. There’s a good chance we’ll see Ambrose in next week’s Open Cup match against Chicago and in league play while Garza is out and Chris McCann continues to miss time with a hamstring injury.

Next: MLS Week 15 Power Rankings

Oh, and here’s some bonus information from Thursday afternoon.

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