Atlanta United boss Gonzalo Pineda has faced criticism from some of the team’s supporters following their first-round MLS Cup playoffs exit to Columbus Crew. The team made significant progress in 2023, particularly towards the end of the season. Young player of the Year Thiago Almada and Newcomer of the Year Giorgos Giakoumakis worked well together, leading Atlanta to many victories. While there has been improvement, some are wondering if there could be a better fit to lead the team when Pineda’s contract expires after the 2024 season.
Pineda took over late in the 2021 season and has a 35-25-32 record. However, many of those losses were due to injuries during the 2022 season, causing Atlanta to finish in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings. Despite this, Pineda should be given credit for keeping the team in a strong position leading up to the playoffs.
In 2023, Atlanta struggled when Almada was unavailable, leading to poor performances in certain games. Pineda’s starting lineups have generally been good, but he has been criticized for failing to make adjustments when needed. Even when Atlanta had a revamped squad and fewer injury problems, they were unable to make it past the first round of the playoffs.
The team showed improvement in scoring goals but struggled defensively, conceding 53 goals in 2023 compared to 54 in 2022. There were instances where lapses in concentration late in games cost them points, and Pineda has been criticized for not being able to address these defensive errors.
While Pineda is not a bad coach, the team’s front office may need to make a tough decision regarding their head coach’s future to get back to winning ways ahead of the 2024 campaign.