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Grit. Grind. Glory.

A look back at the grit and grind of Atlanta United’s 2021 regular season and how the team found its path to glory

By Atlanta United FC

November 19^th, 2021

GRIT

April 6, 2021

Atlanta United kicks off its 2021 season on a high note with back-to-back wins in Concacaf Champions League.

Head coach Gabriel Heinze makes his coaching debut for the club.

“We’re trying to implement everything we learned in preseason from Gabriel and hopefully we can transition that to the MLS season. We’re just going day-by-day and picking up everything we can. The most important part is being together as a team, and we’re starting to gel so that’s looking good,” defender Brooks Lennon says.

Atlanta plays the first leg in Costa Rica. The team captures its second win of the leg at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw. It’s the first time in 2021 the team plays in front of home fans.

April 17, 2021

Atlanta United opens MLS competition against Orlando City FC at Exploria Stadium. Striker Josef Martínez comes on as a sub in the 75th minute for his first league appearance in over a year. The former league MVP suffered a torn ACL in the MLS season opener in 2020.

The hard-fought game ends in a scoreless draw. Atlanta United doesn’t allow a goal for a third straight match.

“We take pride as a backline,” goalkeeper Brad Guzan says. “We take pride as defenders, goalkeepers. One, not just about not conceding, but not giving a lot of opportunities away. That’s something we talk about before games and we take pride in. So, like I said, to be able to come away with a clean sheet against a good team, that’s certainly a positive for us.”

April 24, 2021

After three matches on the road, Atlanta United returns to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for its home opener.

With the Covid pandemic ongoing, seating is limited. Stadium attendance for the match is about 20,000.

“Very happy for the first home match and to be able to give a joy to the fans,” Heinze says.

Atlanta United handles Chicago Fire 3-1. Midfielder Ezequiel Barco scores his first goal of the season. Midfielder Emerson Hyndman scores the third in the 85th minute.

“It’s difficult to analyze the transitions because for me the game is everything,” Heinze says. “Today the team did a good job. We could’ve received more goals and we could’ve also scored more goals. But this is the path that I’m going to propose for this team.”

May 9, 2021

Atlanta United is on the road against Inter Miami CF. Both teams are 1-1-1 and have four points in the table.

In the ninth minute, Hyndman passes the ball to Martínez inside the 18-yard box. Martínez makes a precise turn to face goal. With his next touch, he delivers a low ball into the left side of the net.

The reaction is joyous. It’s Martínez’s first goal since returning from injury. The last goal was in 2019 in the conference semifinals of the MLS Cup Playoffs against Philadelphia Union. The striker runs over to the bench and hugs Mario Cruz, the head athletic trainer at Atlanta United who helped Martínez during his recovery.

After the match, Martínez is asked how often he’s dreamed of scoring the first goal since the injury.

“Every day,” he says.

The goal comes 431 days after he injured his knee.

May 15, 2021

After two losses and two draws, the club enters the matchup against CF Montreal looking for its first win in four matches.

Atlanta United opens Mercedes-Benz Stadium at capacity for the first time in 2021. Over 40,000 supporters attend. During the match, the club offers Covid-19 vaccinations to those in attendance.

In stoppage time, winger Jake Mulraney crosses the ball. Midfielder Marcelino Moreno heads the pass to goal to give Atlanta a last-second 1-0 win.

“I’m happy with the goal because it was able to get us three points,” Moreno says. “I thought we deserved it tonight. We haven’t been getting the results that we wanted, so this was an important victory.”

It’s the last time Atlanta United will be above .500 for three months.

May 23, 2021

A week after the victory over Montreal, Atlanta United flies to the West coast to take on Seattle Sounders.

Down 1-0, Atlanta is awarded a penalty kick in the 86th minute. The club’s leading scorer steps up to take his first penalty shot in two years. Martínez stutter steps and converts the kick for his second goal of the season and his second goal in three games.

The goal gives Atlanta United a gritty 1-1 draw against one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

“I don’t know if we are a good team or not yet,” Martínez says. “We have more possession than Seattle. They have a better team than us. We didn’t create a lot of chances, but one point is enough for us.”

May 29, 2021

Atlanta United hosts Nashville at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The home team has a 2-0 lead in the 79th minute after goals from Moreno in the sixth minute and Erik López, his first career MLS goal, in the 51st.

But in a quick turn of events, Nashville presses and scores two goals in three minutes. The match ends in a 2-2 draw. The feeling for Atlanta United is a missed opportunity against a quality opponent.

“There’s a lot of emotions for sure,” defender George Bello says. “You go through the game thinking that you are playing well and the team is going well, then that happens. Results like that, for me at least and I’m sure for a lot of the guys, it feels like a loss. But we have to keep going. It’s in the past now. We have a break, so we have to regroup. We just have to get ready to keep going. It is still early in the season. We have to move on from it.”

Atlanta United heads into the first international break of 2021 with a 2-1-4 record and 10 points in the table.

July 3, 2021

Atlanta United begins a new month after a challenging June. The club tied Philadelphia Union 2-2 on June 20, lost to New York City FC on June 23 and played the New York Red Bulls to a scoreless draw on June 27.

During that stretch, Atlanta loses Hyndman to injury. In seven matches, he has one goal, one assist and seven starts.

Chicago Fire enters the match at Soldier Field with one win on the season and positioned toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Several young players make appearances for Atlanta United. Midfielders Mo Adams and Tyler Wolff make the starting XI. Forward Machop Chol replaces López in the second half. Defender Mikey Ambrose and forward Jackson Conway are subbed on in the 75th minute.

The Fire dominate the match. Atlanta United doesn’t take its first shot on goal until the 71st minute and takes just two on the day.

Atlanta gets shut out for the third straight match, losing 3-0.

“It’s little things like that game management, knowing how we play in our system,” defender Anton Walkes says. “Again, 90 percent of the time it works, but in the 10 percent it doesn’t, they just get chances and score. It’s a process, but the sooner the better because results aren’t going in our favor right now.”

Martínez doesn’t play for the fourth consecutive match. He misses the previous three while playing for Venezuela.

“I’m not going to change anything,” Heinze says. “I’m going to fix what we did bad. I’m going to keep insisting on what we are doing well. Always following the same ideas, same philosophy that I have with my teams. I know about this in the games you say. But I’m not going to change and leave this path.”

July 17, 2021

Atlanta United returns to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for its first match since a 2-2 draw with Nashville on July 8.

The club meets New England, a top team in the Eastern Conference that arrives to Atlanta on a three-match winless streak.

For Atlanta United, Homegrown defender George Campbell gets his first career start. Striker Erik Torres starts in the No. 9 spot. Newly acquired midfielder Amar Sejdic plays a full 90 in his first appearance with Atlanta United and takes two shots. Goalkeeper Alec Kann is in goal for Guzan, who is with the U.S. men’s national team in the Gold Cup.

New England scores in the 18th minute. Atlanta United dominates possession 61 percent and takes five shots on goal but is called offside four times.

Atlanta falls to New England 1-0 in front of a home crowd. The club’s record in MLS falls to 2-4-7. The winless streak extends to eight games.

The following day, Heinze is relieved of his duties. Assistant coach Rob Valentino is appointed interim head coach.

GRIND

July 19, 2021

Valentino takes over head coaching duties and starts the week conducting his first training session at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground.

“I’m personally excited for the opportunity and grateful for the club to give me the opportunity,” Valentino says during his first media availability. “There’s a lot of work to do. And ultimately, I care about those boys in there. I care about the club and I want to see them succeed. I want to see them happy again, I want to see them with a smiles on their faces.”

Three days later, Atlanta United travels to TQL Stadium. Cincinnati strikes first, but Atlanta United responds. In his first start for the club, midfielder Ronald Hernández nets a goal in the 70th minute.

Atlanta United takes 12 corner kicks and outshoots Cincinnati 22 to 14. Martínez sees the pitch for his club for the first time since May 29.

The team survives with a 1-1 draw.

“The boys put in a really good shift,” Valentino says. “Honestly, the work that they put in is commendable. I’m so proud of them. I feel like they’ve done the club proud and done the city proud. I’m looking forward to coming home on Saturday.”

Players are happy to get a point in Valentino’s debut.

“He’s a guy we really want to fight for,” Kann says of Valentino. “He’s a good guy that has a lot of relationships with the guys in the locker room that are preexisting for a of couple years. He’s a guy that we respect, and we know how he works, how hard he works, how much he cares about us. That’s the kind of manager you want to go to war for.”

August 7, 2021

Atlanta United kicks off its fifth match under Valentino. In the previous four matches, Atlanta United has two draws (Cincinnati FC on July 21, Montreal on August 4) and two losses (Columbus on July 24 and Orlando on July 30).

The club scores five goals in those four matches – two of those belong to Martínez.

Valentino’s first win comes on August 7 at Lower.com Field. It’s a significant matchup against the defending MLS Cup champions. Just two weeks earlier, Columbus beat Atlanta United 1-0.

Barco scores two goals and Moreno scores the third on a penalty kick. Atlanta United gets a 3-2 victory to snap its 12-match winless streak.

“It’s been so difficult, everyone knows that,” Valentino says. “I’m proud of the group, I’m proud of everyone at the club. This is a moment where you didn’t quit and kept going. It’s just the start, but there is much more to it. I’m happy that I’m in this position to share it with everyone. But this is for Atlanta, this is for the fans. I hope it’s just the start of us rolling. I believe the group is right there.”

The players echo Valentino’s belief.

“The atmosphere in the locker room after was really good, really buzzing,” Bello says.

August 10, 2021

Luiz Araújo arrives to the Training Ground for his first day at his new club. Atlanta’s latest acquisition gets a tour of the facility and participates in an individual training session.

The striker from Brazil is a fast, attacking player who shows flashes of skill with the ball.

“He fits the profile of the type of player the club likes to bring in,” Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra says. “We think he’s going to be a great talent and really give us a boost for the second half of the season.”

The left-footed speedster comes to Atlanta with valuable experience and a winning pedigree. Araújo played 136 matches at Lille OSC in Ligue 1 and won two trophies with the French club.

He also arrives to Atlanta in good form. He’s completed a full preseason with Lille and played 85 minutes in the match on Aug. 1 against Paris Saint-Germain.

“I’m very motivated by this new challenge,” Araújo says during his introductory press conference. “I was presented a great project and I like how the league is growing. I think I made a great choice.”

August 12, 2021

Atlanta United announces it has hired Gonzalo Pineda to be the club’s new head coach. The 38-year-old will be under contract through the 2024 season.

Pineda joins Atlanta from Seattle Sounders, where he served as an assistant head coach for five seasons. During that time, he helped guide Seattle to three MLS Cup appearances and a championship in 2019.

“My standard is not just winning or losing,” Pineda says. “It’s also competing at a high level in a way that is in line with our standards as human beings, as persons, as professionals. So I don’t want to just win in any way, I want to win in the Atlanta United way.”

Pineda retains Valentino on his staff as an assistant coach.

“Rob has been fantastic with the players first, which is the most important one,” Pineda says. “He’s a super humble person, a super hard worker, and willing to learn. And I need that type of assistance next to me. Rob has been just amazing. So kudos to Rob.”

August 18, 2021

Atlanta United plays its third match in 12 days, the second of two at home. The team is coming off back-to-back victories against Columbus and LAFC.

Araújo makes his debut at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Toronto FC. His first touch in MLS play is a neat, cut that shifts him past a Toronto defender to ignite a rapid attack. His first shot is on frame and forces a save.

Lennon finds Barco on a long ball. Barco creates space for a left-footed strike that gets past the keeper. Atlanta United takes 21 shots throughout the match and holds onto its 1-0 to get its fifth win of the season.

The shutout is Atlanta United’s third straight win. Valentino’s management, as well as Barco’s production that lands him on MLS Team of the Week three consecutive times, has the team just one win away from being back at .500.

“Everyone in and around the group wanted to get three points and was willing to give everything they had to accomplish that goal, and we did,” Lennon said. “Hats off to the boys. I know this was the second game in a quick turnaround, and we’re going to have another game in a couple of days, so the mentality has to stay the same. We have to up the mentality a little bit more to make Rob [Valentino] a little bit more happy.”

August 21, 2021

Atlanta United gets on a roll August. It wins three in a row against Columbus, LAFC and Toronto and outscores opponents 5-2 in that span.

Next, a tall task on the road against D.C. United.

Pineda meets his new players for the first time in D.C. A positive Covid tests keeps Pineda from joining the club sooner. He watches the game at Audi Field from the stands, seeing his team in person for the first time.

Martínez scores his sixth goal of the season. Moreno gets the go-ahead goal in the 82nd minute. Guzan makes six saves on the night to preserve the 2-1 win.

The club’s win streak extends to four, the second-longest in club history. Atlanta gains 12 points in the standings, giving it 27 on the year.

“You started to see guys express themselves,” Guzan says. “You started seeing guys who should have ability individually and should have quality in what they could bring to the team. When you have that quality within the group and you have an idea of what you’re trying to do as 11 guys on the field and then that little bit of quality shines through, more times than not good things are going to happen."

GLORY

August 24, 2021

Twelve days after the announcement, the Pineda era at Atlanta United officially begins.

Pineda holds his first practice at the Training Ground. He focuses on establishing routines. He communicates his vision to the players. He refers to what he saw the team do against D.C. and explains he wants the team to continue its dynamic, attacking play.

“I love that they are dangerous in the attack,” Pineda says. “When Barco takes the ball forward and starts to dribble with the space and then Luiz is attacking, Bello is attacking, Josef is attacking, Brooks Lennon is attacking…I mean, it looks dangerous. And I like that part.”

He also brings a new culture to the club. He invites supporters to watch training. He makes himself available to media, sometimes multiple times a week. He starts a new tradition of smashing a cake in the face of a player on his birthday.

“For me, we should be a family,” Pineda says. “We should all be part of the success we’re going to get. So everybody – the staff, everybody – we are all the same. We are all here to help the players perform at their best.”

September 10, 2021

Atlanta United kicks off a three-game homestand with a 3-0 shutout victory over Orlando City. It marks the first Friday match ever played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Campbell scores his first career MLS goal. Two goals come by way of Barco. Midfielder Matheus Rossetto is nearly perfect, completing 45-of-46 passes.

The shutout gives Pineda his first win as Atlanta’s head coach. He’s named MLS Manager of the Week the following Monday.

“The players deserve every single part of the victory,” Pineda says. “I felt they did an amazing job. They worked very hard the last few weeks, and this is a reward for them.”

September 18, 2021

Atlanta United outlasts D.C. United 3-2 to complete a perfect three-game homestand, picking up nine out of nine possible points.

In those three games, the team scores 10 goals and gives up only two. Barco scores three of those goals. Several goals come in the 4-0 rout against Cincinnati three days prior. Martínez scores two that day, and Araújo gets his first MLS goal.

Against D.C., the team gets a few more. Bello scores his first goal of the season. Barco converts a world-class goal, his second straight match scoring on a direct free kick.

To put Atlanta ahead, Martínez scores his 99th goal with the club. He gets very close to scoring no. 100.

Atlanta improves to 9-7-9 on the season and has 36 points in the table. The win is the club’s seventh in the last eight matches – Atlanta’s best eight-game stretch since 2018.

“Compared to where we was after I spoke to you guys earlier in the year, we are in a lot better position now,” Walkes says. “Again, I take it game by game. That worked for us when things were going bad, so we need to continue that mindset now when things are going good. We are climbing up the standings. I looked after the game, it’s getting to that time of year where it’s important. We sit in fourth now pending results of other games tonight. Again, we are in a playoff position now and hopefully we will just continue to keep pushing now and get as high as we can.”

September 29, 2021

Martínez makes MLS history in front of a home crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, becoming the fastest player to reach 100 goals with one club. He scores his 100th on a penalty kick after a handball was called on Miami.

After the goal, he receives a jersey from the stands with the number “100” to commemorate the milestone. The stadium celebrates with chants. The halo board displays “100 Goals.”

"I want to say thank you to my teammates, the ones that are here and the players that were here before, and everyone working at Atlanta United and also for my city because they mean a lot," Martínez says after the match.

The goal ends up being the game-winner. Atlanta United shuts out Miami 1-0. Atlanta United has 39 points in the Eastern Conference table, enough to put them above the playoff line.

“I thought transitions were also a good way to impact, but it was destiny that it had to be Josef [Martínez] with a penalty to score his 100th goal and help us to win as a team,” Pineda says.

Atlanta United ends the month of September with four wins in five matches. It picks up 12 crucial points. It’s one of the most meaningful stretches in club history.

October 27, 2021

It’s the third and final meeting between Atlanta United and Miami. The late-season meeting creates an intense atmosphere that feels like a playoff game.

Both teams are physical, amassing a combined 38 fouls and eight yellow cards.

Miami goes into the locker room at halftime with a 1-0 lead. Atlanta rallies in the second half behind goals from Araújo and Martínez.

Atlanta wins 2-1 to complete its first come-from-behind victory of the year.

The three points give Atlanta 46 in the table. The club sits at sixth place, just one point away from a top-four spot.

“It was a playoff atmosphere, and we felt that the players understood how to play this type of game, so the atmosphere in the stadium, the energy that the fans brought into the field, the energy that the players brought into the stands, it was fantastic, and that type of atmosphere is what makes us happy that this is our job, because those moments are very meaningful for us,” Pineda says.

The following day, the league announces its first batch of nominations for the Year-End Awards. Atlanta United receives 11 nominations, including Barco and Moreno for Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player award.

November 7, 2021

Decision Day. The matchup is on the road against Cincinnati.

Atlanta enters the match in fifth place in the conference. A win or draw will secure a place for Atlanta in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Cincinnati goes up 1-0 early. Defender Miles Robinson comes up with the equalizer in the 70th minute on a header from Barco. It’s Robinson’s first career MLS goal.

Martínez scores the eventual game-winner, his 12th goal of the season.

The team finishes the pivotal day with a 2-1 win and clinches its fourth berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Atlanta concludes the regular season in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Only New England has earned more points since the middle of July in the conference than Atlanta.

“I told the players, the last time Atlanta United played in this stadium there were 13 games and 13 points and now 21 games after we have 38 points more. So, that’s pretty impressive,” Pineda says after the match at TQL Stadium. “That’s almost two points per game and that is a testament to the mentality of the team in the second half of the season and it’s all a credit to them. The first few games when I wasn’t here, Rob and the rest of the coaching staff did a terrific job at stepping up and putting together the group to fight and compete, and now the players at the end of the season they have a playoff spot and a new tournament is going to start for the group of players.”

November 21, 2021

Atlanta's quest for glory ends in Round One of the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs. The team goes up against 5-seed New York City FC and falls 2-0 at Yankee Stadium.

Atlanta United finishes the 2021 season with a 13-9-12 record. Even though the season concludes with a difficult loss, the club’s head coach was proud of the team’s fight, especially in the second half of the season.

“Today again was proof for me the heart of the team,” Pineda said. “They never give up. I love when teams don’t give up, even in a game like this. 2-0, playing away. The team showed a lot of character to come back, to try create chances. Even with a man down we were trying to push for the game. Those things for me are valuable, and I’m very proud of the heart of the team in general.”