MLS

Ronny Deila dives into Atlanta United project: “We need to be bold”

Ronny Deila dives into Atlanta United project: "We need to be bold"

Ronny Deila professed to be mostly pleased after Atlanta United’s 2-1 exhibition loss at Chattanooga FC on Sunday, the opening fixture of their 2025 preseason. Yet a few questions into his postgame media availability, he did not sugarcoat his evaluation of the, shall we say, less incisive stretches of the Five Stripes’ performance.

“I think we play too much backward. It’s always safe, safe, safe, safe, so I get bored watching it,” said the plain-spoken Norwegian, who took the ATLUTD reins last month, after their first organized match of his coaching tenure. “But at the same time, it’s a start. I knew it also. I’d seen it in training, I’d seen it from last year. So we need to work on [going] forward, breaking lines, playing forward.

“I don’t worry about anything. I know where we’re going to go. And I painted that picture for 14 days and I need time to get that into everybody.”

Lofty expectations

These short trips north across the state line to Finley Stadium, a cozy college football venue where Chattanooga FC have crafted one of American soccer’s most inspiring grassroots success stories since their launch in 2009, have become a cherished preseason tradition for ATLUTD. The ‘17s,’ as the Five Stripes refer to their most devoted supporters, will always remember Finley as the site where their team donned the crest for their first-ever matchday, a preseason game on February 11, 2017.

With well-worn artificial turf and long rosters with plenty of reserves, academy kids and trialists on both sides, this was a low-key occasion that starkly contrasts the ‘big club’ glamor Atlanta are synonymous with, their financial muscle, their state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium and its huge crowds.

That’s particularly so this winter, where Atlanta United carry one of the biggest war chests in MLS history – reported at least $30 million – into the Primary Transfer Window thanks to owner Arthur Blank’s committed backing and a bumper crop of outbound sales of last summer.

“When I was here with New York City [FC], I saw what kind of support the club has. So the facilities, the stadium, the training center here, you have everything – it is a fantastic big club, and good club. You have everything to…

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