Will Atlanta United‘s Win Over FC Cincinnati be a Turning Point in Dismal Start to 2025? | OneFootball

For a season that started with so much promise, Atlanta United’s 2025 has gone anything but to plan.

After spending a record $22 million to bring in striker Emmanuel Latte Lath and splashing other cash this offseason, the club has had its worst-ever start to an MLS campaign and only claimed their third win in their 15th match on Saturday.

While the Five Stripes’ reeling status subsided briefly with a 4–2 win over FC Cincinnati, it was a rare bright moment.

“I’m very happy for my teammates and for the effort they put in,” midfielder Miguel Almirón said after the match. “We still haven’t won anything, it’s one game, an important step forward against a good team. We have to keep going.”

Still, the season has been a disappointing struggle for Atlanta. At times, it has looked like head coach Ronny Deila has run out of ideas, and the signings of new sporting director Chris Henderson, recently added by new president and CEO Garth Lagerway, have not worked out.

On opening night against CF Montréal, it looked like the Atlanta United of old might be back. A packed Mercedes-Benz Arena, with hopes of an electrifying and flowing attack team leading them to a second MLS Cup.

Atlanta had a reinvigorated squad and fanbase and were just a few months removed from eliminating the record-breaking 2024 Inter Miami CF in the MLS Cup Playoffs. They had serious hopes for a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference in 2025.

Fifteen games into this year, though, and they’re just trying to climb back into playoff contention.

Where has it all gone wrong? How did a team with no hesitancy to spend find itself at the bottom of the standings, struggling to create positivity within the club?

It Starts with Deila

Ronny Deila has struggled to find a consistent lineup for Atlanta United in his first season in charge. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Returning to MLS after winning the MLS Cup with New York City FC in 2021, Deila came with great hopes for Atlanta. Yet, as the eighth head coach since 2017, he also brought another tactical overhaul to the team, which has struggled to grasp his ideas.

The switch from Gerardo “Tata” Martino’s up-tempo style to Frank de Boer, Gabriel Heinze, Gonzalo Pineda’s reign and Rob Valentino's interim spell has left the core of the team confused and uncommitted, unable to complete tactical plans.

At the same time, each manager’s style seems incredibly different which, combined with differences in recruitment, has caused instability around the team.

With Deila, the team at least has some MLS experience, and things can take time to settle. Despite the lack of success, there have been flashes of life and brief moments where it comes together.

It may take a while, and it showed its bright moments against Cincinnati, but any instability needs some time to settle, especially after Deila called the team “soft,” amid their challenging spells.

“It’s a good win, we’ve got to continue to be better. When you’re in a difficult moment, sometimes you need a little something to go your way, and tonight we had a little bit of that,” said veteran goalkeeper Brad Guzan after Sunday’s win. “We still need to be better.”

A Lack of Consistency

Miguel Almirón's contributions haven’t matched the levels he hit before leaving for the Premier League. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

As significant as the most recent result is, Deila could do more to create consistency. Instead of committing to a clear plan, Atlanta regularly changes its lineup and player roles.

It has led to questions around the best use of midfielders Almirón and Alexey Miranchuk and a lack of consistency on the backline, where the center back pairing, a key factor in most teams, has been in complete flux.

In midfield, Miranchuk and Almirón seemed like sound signings. Miranchuk was supposed to be a creative midfielder who would replace Thiago Almada and have no problems adjusting to MLS after starring with Atalanta in Serie A, while Almirón was expected to play a nostalgic role and rekindle his magic out wide upon returning from Newcastle United.

The final puzzle piece was Latte Lath, the most-expensive transfer in MLS history.

Yet, through the first half of the season, each has dealt with injuries and inconsistencies. Additionally, key defenders Luis Abram, Stian Gregersen, Derrick Williams and Noah Cobb have had few moments and even less reliability.

On Saturday, things began to click, even if it was the secondary cast of Williams, Jay Fortune, Bartosz Slisz and Jamal Thiare each scoring, picking up for Almirón, Latte Lath, and Miranchuk, who weren’t able to find the back of the net themselves.

After beating a top team like FC Cincinnati, however, the big question is whether it will be a turning point or just a standout performance in a season that otherwise hasn’t lived up to expectations.

“Regardless of win, lose, or draw, to me, it is about performances in the end, and our performances, while we have had some good ones, we haven’t been consistent,” Deila said post-match. “There are things to learn, but I saw a lot of progress in many things.”

Atlanta United return to MLS action on Wednesday when they take on Orlando City SC.