Atlanta United didn’t just add another defender when they brought in Enea Mihaj. They added a mindset.
The Albanian international (born in Greece, forged in the tactical school of European football) arrives with the kind of profile Ronny Deila has quietly coveted since taking over: a center back comfortable defending big spaces, aggressive in his front-foot duels, and calm enough on the ball to help Atlanta progress play without constantly relying on their No. 6 to drop between the center halves. In a season that has lurched between promise and frustration, Mihaj might be precisely the stabiliser Atlanta has been missing.
With a must-win match against the visiting Seattle Sounders on Saturday, there’s no time for a gentle bedding-in period. The Five Stripes need points, momentum and clarity. Mihaj can be part of all three.
Who is Enea Mihaj, tactically?
Mihaj is a modern central defender: proactive stepping into midfield lines, comfortable defending 1v1 when his fullbacks push high, and composed enough to break lines with passes rather than simply shuttling the ball wide. He isn’t the kind of centre back who waits passively for attacks to reach the box; he anticipates.
Expect him to:
- Attack the first ball: He reads early service well, which helps when opponents try to find their striker’s feet between the lines.
- Compress space behind the No. 6: One of Atlanta’s recurring issues has been the gap between the midfield pivot and the back line. Mihaj’s willingness to squeeze that space can shrink the field for opposition playmakers.
- Progress possession: While not a quarterback-style long-ball merchant, he’s comfortable zipping vertical passes into the feet of attacking midfielders, which is crucial if Atlanta wants to play through pressure rather than around it.
Where he’ll be tested most in MLS is the league’s brutal transition game. Teams here break faster, wider, and more directly than many European sides. The Sounders, even in their inevitable cycle of tactical evolutions, still love to attack those channels with ruthless efficiency. Mihaj’s timing — when to step, when to drop — will be under the microscope immediately.
How he fits Ronny Deila’s blueprint
Under Deila, Atlanta’s best moments have come when they’ve been vertical but controlled: win the ball, play forward quickly, then pin the opponent with width and aggressive fullback overlap. That style asks a lot of the centre backs.
They must:
- Defend large areas in transition.
- Start attacks with punchy passing.
- Organize a high line that doesn’t get caught on simple diagonal balls.
Mihaj’s profile suggests he’s a match. If Deila opts for a back four, expect Mihaj to pair with the more aerially dominant partner, allowing him to be the step-out defender. In a back three, he could be the central anchor who reads everything in front and behind, freeing the outside center backs to engage wider. Either setup should allow Atlanta to keep their line high and compress the game, a hallmark of Deila’s best teams.