The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pineda says it’s time to simplify
Slumping team faces Charlotte Independence in U.S. Open Cup today.
Manager Gonzalo Pineda said Monday that Atlanta United is going to simplify a few unspecified things, starting in today’s U.S. Open Cup match against Charlotte Independence at Kennesaw State.
The change is partially sparked by the team’s 2-1 loss to Minnesota, which increased its stretch of winless matches to five.
“Everything is going crazy outside, and in here we have a good system; we have a good process in place,” Pineda said. “We just need to simplify a couple of things and come back to a little bit of self-belief, self-confidence. It’s not like the performance is down here. ... I think we’re not that far from clicking a couple of things, especially in attack, and then I think ... we can be very dangerous still.”
Pineda wouldn’t say if today’s lineup will be a mix of veterans with less experienced players, or mostly less-experienced players, or if players will be brought up from Atlanta United 2 to help fill the roster. The team, in the past, has mixed the two for lower-round U.S. Open Cup matches. Sometimes it has worked. Last year it didn’t: Atlanta United lost to Memphis in its first match in the tournament.
Pineda also declined to describe Charlotte, which plays in USL League One, and what it may be able to do to hurt Atlanta United. Pineda said he is instead focusing on Atlanta United. Pineda did say that he thinks Charlotte, which plays in USL League One, will come out aggressively. “We have to match that intensity,” he said.
Josh Cohen will start in goal. Cohen, who signed with the club
during the winter window, was made available to speak to journalists Monday. Cohen has yet to start a match for Atlanta United but has two shutouts in two appearances with Atlanta United 2.
Pineda said he has been very pleased with Cohen’s professionalism and his attention to detail. Cohen said he is earning the respect of his teammates.
“I’m excited to get out on the field,” he said.
Cohen said when he signed as a free agent after spending the previous four seasons at Maccabi Haifa in Israel, he expected that it might be difficult to get minutes with the first team. Brad Guzan has been the team’s starting goalkeeper for most of the past seven seasons and is playing well this season. Cohen said he will be focused on trying to keep things simple today.
“Trust yourself and play like you have in the past, and the rest will take care of itself,” he said.
Cohen has a lot of experience in tournaments, big and small. With Maccabi Haifa, he appeared in the Champions League against Juventus and Paris-Saint Germain, featuring Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Before moving to Israel, he played for Orange County from 2015-16, and then Phoenix in 2017, in the USL.