Xande Silva and Rob Valentino on progress and preparation for the DC road trip

To begin its availability, Valentino provided insight into the possible status of several players. Edwin Mosquera was ruled out of the game on Saturday due to injury; Valentino said he is still being evaluated. On a more positive note, Stian Gregersen and Tyler Wolff participated in practice on Monday. Their availability will be confirmed once the club publishes its availability report.

In addition to turning the page on the first half of the season, changes are being made to the lineup. On Sunday, Atlanta United announced the transfer of striker Giorgos Giakoumakis to Cruz Azul of Liga MX. Valentino said Giakouamkis “made him a better coach in many ways” and that the move can be “beneficial for both parties.” Despite the roster change, the energy around the team is upbeat as Valentino preaches the importance of staying in the moment.

“Really what I talked about last week is that it’s the past,” Valentino said. “We obviously made our assessment and we didn’t move forward. It’s about how we can progress and improve. So in that sense, it was Houston’s first game, and we talked about being there. We will continue to look at how we can continue to improve and get the results we want.