Atlanta United: The Darlington Nagbe and Jeff Larentowicz effect
By Drew Hubbard
On December 8, the Atlanta United will compete for their first-ever MLS Cup against the Portland Timbers. With so many young players, the presence Jeff Larentowicz and Darlington Nagbe, having both won the competition before, will be vital.
This Saturday, in Atlanta, Georgia, the Five Stripes will compete for their first-ever MLS Cup in only their second MLS season when they take on the 2015 champions in the Portland Timbers.
Despite this being only the club’s second season, Atlanta United are not lacking in veteran leadership on the field. Players like Jeff Larentowicz and Darlington Nagbe all bring vital MLS experience to the table. Along with years of expertise, the two midfielders bring another thing to the club: an MLS Cup.
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And with that very trophy on the line, the young and talented Five Stripes will be looking to the veterans to help spur the team to bring a much-anticipated trophy to the city of Atlanta.
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Jeff Larentowicz began his career in Major League Soccer by being drafted in 2005 by the New England Revolution in the fourth round of the MLS Super Draft. Since being selected by the Revolution, the red-headed veteran has appeared with the Colorado Rapids, Chicago Fire, and Los Angeles Galaxy, while also receiving a call-up to the USMNT in 2010.
That same year, Larentowicz would help the Colorado Rapids bring home the franchise’s first-ever MLS Cup by defeating FC Dallas 2-1 in the final.
Just a couple of months after Larentowicz lifted the trophy, another member of the Five Stripes was getting his name called in the 2011 MLS Super Draft. Darlington Nagbe was drafted by the Portland Timbers with the second overall pick in the draft, Atlanta’s very opposition on Sunday. In 2015, Nagbe won the MLS Cup with the Timbers and, like Larentowicz, can bring the winning experience into a squad that has proven themselves unable to win when it matters.
Neither player will take home the headlines with stunning goals or hat tricks, but what the two veterans do for the Five Stripes has been vital for the 2018 season. Both Nagbe and Larentowicz provide a reliable option to give the ball to when either the attackers or defenders are experiencing a lot of pressure on the ball.
“Darlington is a really good player,” defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez said. “For us, it’s easy because when we have problems we give the ball to him and he solves them.”
In addition to what the veterans bring on the pitch, their experience in winning an MLS Cup has been vital for the Five Stripes’ run at the trophy.
Every league brings its own unique set of challenges when competing for a trophy, and with multiple talented South Americans making up Atlanta United, the value of players that have endured the journey of the MLS Cup Playoffs cannot be underestimated.
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On Saturday night, all eyes will be on Mercedes Benz Stadium to see if the Five Stripes can cap off a historic two-year run with an MLS Cup. And with the team being composed of so many young talented stars, Darlington Nagbe and Jeff Larentowicz’s veteran leadership may be what this team needs to bring home the trophy.