After Atlanta United came back from a one-goal deficit against FC Cincinnati on Decision Day with a dominant second half performance, it seemed like a consensus was forming about what the team’s shape and personnel should look like going forward.
After struggling to create chances in what has become the team’s standard 3-4-3 setup, Pineda made a tactical switch to a 4-2-3-1 that lead to Atlanta looking like the protagonists that overloaded the opposition in the attacking third. Here’s a look at the two shapes after Jake Mulraney was introduced in the second half for Anton Walkes:
Truth is, it wasn’t just an isolated poor half against Cincinnati that had Atlanta United fans frustrated with the performance of the team.