[ad_1]
On Saturday night, the Atlanta United locker room was filled with members of the media, most of whom were waiting for star midfielder Miguel Almiron, coming off a three-assist game and, more importantly, a win, to reemerge from the showers. The team had just throttled the Philadelphia Union 3-1 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and, for the first time in four games this season, won a game.
New to Atlanta, forward Fafa Picault, a veteran player in Major League Soccer (MLS), sat in his locker looking at all of the fuss taking place. This was only his second time in the locker room after a home game, with this being his first season with the team. That fact aside, he has been in locker rooms with players of note, including Lionel Messi, the most prominent. Picault has now played for seven MLS clubs since 2017. Last season, he started seven games and scored four goals for Inter Miami alongside Messi and the 2025 MLS Champions.
Sitting and looking around, Picault had a smile on his face when describing the scene and the energy in the stadium on Saturday. He signed a free agency contract with Atlanta United, expecting to be a part of one of MLS’s most popular clubs.
“When you think of Atlanta United, especially in the best years, you think of a place that’s hard to play in, a place that was hard to get three points,” Picault said.
Picault said he believes respecting the city’s soccer culture will help get the club back on track. Every game won’t be like the Philly Union game when Emmanuel Latte Lath scored, Almiron assisted on three goals, and the team led throughout the match, but it can continue to be this much fun before, during, and after the games again.
“I think we went into this game with a lot of motivation,” Picault said about wanting to avoid a team-record 0-4 start. “We know we didn’t start the way we wanted to, but there’s a lot of new things coming into play and just continuing to gel.”
During the postgame press conference, Atlanta United manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino said the goal scored by Tomas Jacob was something he had recreated during training that week. Picault doubled down on that premise, saying what the team does in training will go a long way to getting back on track.
“The most important thing is to execute what the coach expresses to us during the week,” he said. “We need to leave our bodies and our hearts on the field.”
The 0-3 start to the season might be one of the reasons the crowd was a bit thin on Saturday, but the level of support by the supporter groups in the stands remained enthusiastic. Picault, who entered the game in the 70th minute, said he noticed and wants to repay them for that effort. He described the club’s level of play as having had “grit, skill” and being “well trained tactically.”
“We want to bring that back to the city,” Picault said. “We want to bring that back because we know there’s a big football culture and a great culture all around. We’re here to fight for the city.”
Saturday’s match against D.C. United (2-0-2 this season) has a scheduled 7:30 p.m. first kick at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Related
[ad_2]
Source link
