In a lot of ways, Saturday’s penultimate game of the year against the New England Revolution, a 2-1 loss, was a microcosm of Atlanta United‘s 2022 season.
Going into a must-win to avoid elimination from playoff contention, optimism was high that Atlanta had finally found their form in the final weeks of the season and that maybe, just maybe, they could enjoy a magical run if they could get into the postseason. Instead, a flat performance in attack, mixed in with a really big blunder in the back, put Atlanta on the ropes. A moribund 80 minutes gave way to a late spark delivered by star striker Josef Martinez off the bench with a scissor-kick golazo to restore hope, only for the Revolution to find the winning goal minutes later.
And so, out of the playoffs for the second time in three years despite having the league’s highest payroll, Atlanta United is at a crossroads going into the winter. But before looking ahead, an examination of what went wrong in 2022 is required.
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“The word I would probably choose to use is chaotic. I think there have been some highs, but there have obviously been some lows,” said veteran goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who ruptured his Achilles tendon on April 16 and missed the majority of the season. “At the start of the year when we were down in Mexico for preseason, the vibe was one that we were all excited for the year. Slowly but surely though, a spell of injuries came in rapid fire.”
Not only did Guzan fall by the wayside, but so did starting center-back Miles Robinson and new arrival Ozzie Alonso. Robinson tore his Achilles in early May, while defensive midfielder Alonso tore his ACL in early April, leaving Atlanta United with a completely different-looking spine for most of the season. But there was still plenty of horsepower up top to have fans believing Atlanta could patch over those defensive frailties with offensive output. The 47 goals scored thus far have been far from what many expected.
“It is a Beverly Hills dumpster fire, because you have all of these luxury pieces on paper that should be top of the league,” said ESPN analyst Herculez Gomez. “Whether it’s overall play, roster construction, health, which has been a serious issue for Atlanta, those things are a factor, but health is something that every MLS team deals with.
“I think this is it. And it’s sad because Josef Martinez is one of the most electrifying players I’ve seen in MLS, akin to Robbie Keane with the LA Galaxy,” Gomez said. “[Martinez] is that type of winner, that type of productive player and he’s not been the same since that unfortunate injury.
“Now I am pro-Josef Martinez because when healthy, he is one of the most productive players this league has ever seen. At some point though you need to be a good teammate, be a good employee, regardless of injury, regardless of system, regardless of change, personnel or coaching.”
Pineda, meanwhile, has been non-committal on Martinez’s future, gently deflecting away whether this Sunday will be the 29-year-old’s last with Atlanta, saying in his post-match news conference on Saturday, “I don’t know the answer to that.”
Unlike the standoff between then-manager Gabriel Heinze and Martinez in 2021, one that resulted in Heinze packing his bags, this time the signs are pointing toward an exit for Martinez instead.
If it does come to pass, it will feel like the end of an incredible era in MLS. No new MLS franchise hit the ground running quite like Atlanta United did in 2017, with a breathtaking brand of soccer orchestrated by coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino and powered by Martinez and playmaker Miguel Almiron, the exclamation point being an MLS Cup trophy in 2018.
“From a sporting side we’re trying to get back to that success that we created early on and that’s winning games, winning trophies and competing for trophies. Atlanta United is still a massive club, if not the biggest club in the league. Players are still eager to come and be a part of Atlanta United. It’s down to us as players to recapture that success by winning games,” Guzan said.
