Atlanta United Vs Real Salt Lake: 5 things we learned from big win

2. Gresselmania continued

Julian Gressel had himself a night on Saturday night. In fact, Gressel had a fantastic week across Atlanta’s three matches. The young German logged two assists against Colorado and another assist against San Jose. Against RSL, he scored his third goal of the season, which was an absolute stunner, and assisted Villalba’s second-half goal.

To recap: in a span of seven days, Gressel played all 270 minutes across three matches, scored a goal and recorded four assists. Those are some Player of the Week numbers, although there’s a good chance Gressel won’t even be mentioned in the conversation.

He is often overlooked because of the team’s flashier players and attacking talent, but he might be the most important player on the pitch. I’ve written before about Gressel’s value to the team, especially his ability to play nearly every position on the pitch. Through 30 games, Gressel has three goals and an amazing 14 assists. Gressel is now tied for second in the league in assists and could finish top if his form holds.

Atlanta is dealing with its fair share of injuries but, no matter what, Gressel is a fantastic solution to any position problems Martino may be dealing with. Plus, it’s very clear Martino will do almost anything to keep Gresel on the pitch. Atlanta rolled out the 4-3-3 this week to fit both Escobar and Gressel onto the field.