Atlanta United: Gonzalo Pineda takes accountability for Nashville SC loss
Gonzalo Pineda makes Atlanta United debut
After firing Gabriel Heinze midway through the season, a 2021 campaign of seemingly constant change for Atlanta United now has a sense of stability. Even as the club lost in Gonzalo Pineda’s coaching debut over the weekend, there is at least a big of a sense of direction for a team that has been rudderless since the departure of Tata Martino.
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And a big reason why it feels like Atlanta United might be set to turn the corner on this season comes from Pineda’s accountability following a 2-0 loss at home to Nashville SC. There was no blaming the players. No excuses. No ire at the league or referees.
Instead, Pineda owned up to things in his first match in MLS as a head coach.
“I’m happy with the effort of the players, but the soccer is on me. So, this one is on me. I always say that I have big shoulders to take responsibility, and this one is on me,” Pineda said after the match. “My job is to give the players the tools to succeed, and maybe that’s something that I didn’t do today, and that’s on me. The players –I can’t ask any more in terms of the effort, the heart, and the passion that they put on the field.”
After the firing of Heinze on July 4, interim head coach Rob Valentino did a tremendous job in calming a tempestuous season. The club slowly rose up the standings and is now 6-7-9 (27 points), just three points off a playoff spot in a confusing Eastern Conference.
Atlanta United: The big picture
Despite the loss, Atlanta United did play overall well against Nashville SC. They held an overwhelming edge in possession (61 percent) even as they were outshot 16:10 by the visitors.
Given that they are within striking distance of a playoff spot, Atlanta United’s continued acclimation to their new head coach is perhaps as important as getting results at this point in the season.
“Obviously, we lost the game, and that’s painful. That’s painful to me, painful for the players, too, painful to the fans –which are the most important part,” Pineda said.
“What I can say that I’m happy with the effort from the players. I’m happy with them trying to score many goals, trying to cross from different areas, trying to create more chances (and) trying to just do everything to win. It was disappointing, because I felt like the team tried, and the team played well. But, obviously, we need to work on a couple more things in order to get better results.
“The heart, the passion (and) the attacking-minded style of the players in the times when they tried to take risks in one-vs-one and even sometimes, one against three. That’s what I wanted –a team that is trying to score every time.”