Atlanta United 2022 MLS season preview: key players and prediction

Since their arrival in Major League Soccer in 2017, the Five Stripes immediately positioned themselves as a fan favorite, so it is worth reviewing Atlanta United for the 2022 edition of MLS, with a season preview, and knowing their key players and prediction.

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And is that this club had always had the limelight in the league since it arrived in the league in 2017. Proof of this is that the club won the MLS Cup in 2018, but since then it has not reached that achievement again. 

In fact, the club was doing well until 2019, but in 2020 they stopped being as effective as they had been in previous years. 

Perhaps that is why coach Gonzalo Pineda will be looking to return this team to its rightful place of honor, and with players of the stature of Josef Martinez and Thiago Almada, this could be a very viable project. 

So to find out how the Five Stripes are coming into MLS 2022, it's time to review Atlanta United's preview with their key players and prediction for this season.

Atlanta United transfer activity

Players In

D - Andrew Gutman (12/1/21 - recalled from loan)

GK - Dylan Castanheira (12/17/21 - trade from Inter Miami CF)

M - Osvaldo Alonso (12/23/21 - signed as a free agent)

GK - Justin Garces (1/10/22 - Homegrown)

F - Erik Centeno (1/11/22 - Generation Adidas)

GK - Bobby Shuttleworth (1/14/22 - signed as a free agent)

D - Ronald Hernandez (1/17/22 - transfer from Aberdeen)

D - Caleb Wiley (1/18/22 - Homegrown)

M - Thiago Almada (2/9/22 - transfer from Vélez Sarsfield)

Players out

D - Josh Bauer (12/1/21 - option declined)

GK - Ben Lundgaard (12/1/21 - option declined)

F - Cubo Torres (12/1/21 - option declined)

D - Ronald Hernandez (12/1/21 - loan expired)

D - Franco Escobar (12/12/21 - traded to LAFC)

D - Anton Walkes (12/14/21 - selected in Expansion Draft)

GK - Alec Kann (12/16/21 - signed as a free agent by FC Cincinnati)

M - Mo Adams (12/17/21 - trade to Inter Miami CF)

M - Ezequiel Barco (1/30/22 - loan to River Plate)

D - George Bello (1/31/22 - transfer to Arminia Bielefeld)

Atlanta United key players

Miles Robinson

Everyone knows that to have a good offense, a team needs a solid defense, and that's where Miles Robinson shines. His work last season was so good that he secured a spot in the USMNT, and he was undoubtedly the best defender in the Five Stripes.

Robinson averaged 75 percent of successful defensive tackles in the 2021 campaign and in addition, he is good support for the attack as he had an 84 percent pass completion rate.

On the other hand, he completed 26 starts and had 3 shots on goal. With a player who has that ease of transitioning from defense to attack, it will be difficult for opponents to have attacking depth without the fear of waiting for a counterattack. 

Thiago Almada

It's not every day that a major MLS club decides to break the record with the most expensive purchase of a player in its history, which is why great things are expected from Thiago Almada, the young promise from Argentina who broke the transfer market. 

The former Velez Sarsfield player was bought at a cost of $16 million, an amount higher than what Toronto FC paid for Lorenzo Insigne, which means that the Atlanta team's scouts saw something in the 20-year-old. 

But despite his youth, Almada has already played 103 games for Velez Sarsfield, scoring 25 goals and providing 10 assists, so much is expected of him in Major League Soccer. 

Josef Martinez

Gone is that terrible knee injury that kept the Venezuelan striker off the field for 2020 and proof of that was the epic bullet goal against FC Cincinnati on Decision Day last season. 

The striker was in fine form last season, scoring 12 goals in his 25 appearances for the Five Stripes, asserting his role as a penalty box predator. 

But Martínez is not only a skillful attacker, but in the midfield, he can also help in the ball circulation, since in the 2021 campaign, he provided 367 good passes and helped in the containment by recovering 35 balls from the rivals. 

Therefore, along with his teammates, this Venezuelan who scores epic goals is ready to lead Atlanta to glory. 

Atlanta United FC Season Prediction

There is no doubt that the competition in the Eastern Conference will be fierce, with teams like the New England Revolution and Philadelphia Union, but the Five Stripes are ready to meet the challenge. 

With a squad focused on attacking depth and not so much on counter-attacking, they are expected to have the talent to compete for the MLS Cup this season.

Reaching the Playoffs last year seems to have been the prelude to what this club could achieve under Gonzalo Pineda.

Now what remains is to hope that the $16 million investment made with Thiago Almada will pay off, but with players like Robinson or Martinez guiding the newcomer from Argentina, this club can aspire to great things.

Will we see them in the fight for the MLS Cup? Everything seems to indicate that they will.

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