The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Slisz, 5 others expected back for Chicago
The 6 players will return after playing for national teams.
Atlanta United expects the six players who recently were called up by their national teams to return to training no later than Friday, in advance of Sunday’s home game against Chicago.
Midfielder Bartosz Slisz was the highlight performer among the six by helping Poland qualify for the Euros with a victory against Wales on Tuesday in Cardiff. The match finished 0-0, with Poland advancing 5-4 on penalty kicks and Slisz playing 120 minutes. He played 90 minutes in Poland’s 5-1 win against Estonia on March 21 in its first Euro qualifying match.
Poland’s advancement means Slisz likely will miss several Atlanta United matches this summer. The Euros are scheduled for June 14-July 14 in Germany.
Striker Giorgos Giakoumakis helped Greece advance to its final Euro qualifier by playing 26 minutes in a 5-0 win against Kazakhstan on March 21, but Greece lost to Georgia 4-2 in penalty kicks after finishing 0-0 in regulation Tuesday. Giakoumakis played 30 minutes and missed a penalty kick.
Fullback Caleb Wiley played 16 minutes for the U.S. Olympic team in its 2-2 draw against France on Monday. The match was a friendly as part of the team’s warmups for the Summer Games in Paris. Wiley started and played 62 minutes in the team’s 3-0 win against Guinea in Spain on March 22.
Attacking midfielder Thiago Almada was part of the Argentina U23 team that defeated Mexico 4-2, then lost to Mexico 3-0 on Monday. Almada scored on a penalty kick in the 4-2 win.
Midfielder Jay Fortune started for Trinidad and Tobago in its 2-0 loss to Canada in its Copa America playoff match March 23. Centerback Luis Abram was part of the Peru team that defeated Nicaragua 2-0 on March 22 and the Dominican Republic 4-1 on Tuesday.