Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union Communications

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta – Saturday, May 17th – Atlanta United 0 – 1 Philadelphia Union

When the MLS schedule is released each season, my father and I always try to pick out one away game to support the Boys in Blue together on the road. This has gotten harder as our schedules have become more complicated. Nevertheless, last weekend, the stars aligned, and we were fortunate to be able to watch the Union play away in Atlanta at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Our regular season tickets (since 2015) are opposite the Philadelphia Union bench. Those are our seats, and that is the perch from which I most comfortably analyze the game. Every now and again, on the road, we find ourselves sitting in unfamiliar territory. In Dallas in 2022, we sat behind the away bench, and, more recently, in New England, I again sat behind the team, though I was not very close to the players. For this Atlanta game, we had tickets directly behind the Union bench and right behind the players.

The seats were insane and provided an amazing view of the luxury football-based Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Beyond loving seeing the plush stadium up-close (including impressive dining options), these seats gave me a new outlook on the game itself. I was very excited to see some of the behind-the-scenes action from the coaching staff up close and to see how the staff analyze trends during the match and then adjust in real time.

Here are some of my key observations:

When the game started, I immediately noticed how vocal head coach Bradley Carnell was with the players, often motioning for them to calm down and slow down the game as the Union dealt with pressure from the home side. Carnell opted to start the match in what turned out to be a variation of a 5-3-2. Kai Wagner was pushed inwards to be the left center back, while we saw a glimpse of what Bruno Damiani could offer as a 10. Most importantly, I noticed how Jovan Lukic started out as a right wing-back to help combat the output from Atlanta’s Pedro Amador on the left side.

From my seat, I was impressed by this unique setup by Carnell. I noticed that his game plan was effectively to “match” Atlanta’s initial setup and to force them to play through the middle instead of out wide, where they thrive. Additionally, I saw how he would often call players over during short breaks and talk to them about their positioning and the game shape. Around the 35th-40th minute-mark, Carnell called Bedoya over and gave him a note. I could see this from where I was sitting, but it probably was not visible from the other side of the field or from the tv.

The note compelled a change in formation. Although I could not read the note, I assume that it was Carnell and the rest of the coaching staff telling Lukic to join the midfield and switch to a version of a 4-3-3 formation, with Donovan and Uhre alongside Damiani up top. Right before the half, this was the right move to make, as Atlanta were starting to figure out the Union.

Coming out of the halftime break and into the second half, I observed how the coaching staff dealt with the game starting to open up. Carnell and the rest of the coaching staff resorted to their favorite formation: the 4-2-2-2. This allowed us to high press and create turnovers and ultimately lead to Tai Baribo’s game-winner, and his league-leading eleventh goal of the season.

Ultimately, as a lifelong Union fan who has seen the team play from one side of the pitch almost all my life, it was a unique and different experience to watch them from the other side. This change of perspective really allowed me to see how much the coach impacts the match (like in moments where Carnell could be seen telling Westfield to push higher on the wings, telling Uhre to ride the backline and play high, and even telling Andrew Rick when the Union switched formation to a 4-3-3 before half).

Yes, this is a new coach, who has more energy and more of a vocal impact during the game than his predecessor. In fact, I recall sitting behind Curtin at an away Dallas match in 2022, when the only noticeable action from Curtin was his hands gesturing to compact the team. We lost that match, 1-0.

This Atlanta game, sitting behind Carnell, showed me that Tanner made the right call and that this new style and new energy has ushered in a new era for the Union.
I guess having a change in perspective – from a change in seat – was worth it.