The first match of any season will inherently be somewhat of a test run, and chances are it’s not going to be pretty.
Especially in the CONCACAF Champions League. Especially then. But for Atlanta United, the circumstances surrounding the team and the matchup were of no importance as the Five Stripes secured a 1-0 win over Alajuelense in the leg of the CCL Round of 16 and the first game of Gabriel Heinze’s tenure.
Sure, the team has a new coach in Gabriel Heinze, and sure, Atlanta’s roster looks different from last year (in a good way), but Atlanta still got the job done in the all important away leg that happened to be this team’s first ever competitive match under Heinze and with this squad.