Giakoumakis and Almada say Atlanta United must keep working

“As players we are also very injured,” said Almada, who scored the team’s first goal from the penalty spot. “So all we can do is keep working and try to be able to give them joy on the field and we just have to keep moving forward.”

Giakoumakis twice called the performance “embarrassing.” DC United finished with 2.3 expected goals to Atlanta United’s 1.5. DC United created six big chances to Atlanta United’s 1 and had six shots on goal to Atlanta United’s three.

Giakoumakis and Almada combined to put two of their 10 shots on goal. Giakoumakis said he would normally talk to his teammates, but after Saturday he said nothing due to his disappointment. He said he couldn’t score if he didn’t get serve, so he had to get his confidence back.

“Our confidence is nowhere near the levels we want,” Giakoumakis said. “So everything we do on the field is more difficult – doing something positive, something good, having our relationships or our combinations – everything is becoming more and more difficult to show on the field. So we have to be patients, and what we need is a win to get back to where we were, get our confidence back and move forward from there. But today was just embarrassing.

Even manager Gonzalo Pineda, usually optimistic, admitted that Saturday’s performance was poor. He described the team’s sloppy play, a three-game streak. He also explained that the team was usually second in winning loose balls. DC United’s first two goals came from loose balls.

“I feel like the players are pulling out all the stops and giving everything they can,” he said. “They run, they chase, but today we weren’t precise with the ball at times, we weren’t consistent and it was difficult.”

Atlanta United has very little time to sort out its problems. Saturday’s game was the third in a streak of nine in 30 days. He will play in Cincinnati on Wednesday and in Nashville on Saturday. He has only taken two points in four away matches.

Almada said bad times can happen and it’s important the team stays together.

The team should benefit from the returns of central defender Stian Gregersen (concussion) and Derrick Williams (calf), as well as winger Xande Silva, who came off the bench in the last two matches. Almada said it was important for the players to stay together.

“What we will have to do is just work, nothing else,” Giakoumakis said. “Work, try to keep your head up and, above all, try to realize where we are right now. We need to stay grounded and stop stealing, because I feel like sometimes we have this bad habit – when we win one or two games we steal a little bit – we need to stay grounded and be more humble. So now we have to work even harder to get back there.

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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule

February 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0

March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1

March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0

March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0

March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0

April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1

April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2

April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1

April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1

May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1

May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in US Open Cup

May 11 DC United 3, Atlanta United 2

May 15 in Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.

May 18 in Nashville, 1:30 p.m.

May 25 vs. LAFC, 7:30 p.m.

May 29 in Miami, 7:30 p.m.

June 2 vs. Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., FOX

June 15 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m.

June 19 at DC United, 7:30 p.m.

June 22 in Saint-Louis, 8:30 p.m.

June 29 c. Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

July 3 at New England, 7:30 p.m.

July 6 at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m.

July 13 in Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

July 17 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.

July 20 against Columbus, 7:30 p.m.

July 26 against DC United in the League Cup, 7:30 p.m.

August 4 against Santos Laguna in the League Cup, 4 p.m.

August 24 at LA Galaxy, 10:30 p.m.

August 31 in Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.

September 14 vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m.

September 18 against Miami, 7:30 p.m.

September 21 at the Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.

September 28 in Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

October 2 c. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

October 5 against Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.

October 19 in Orlando, 6 p.m.