The Atlanta United not only got a huge lift from the return of Thiago Almada on Tuesday as they picked up the 4-2 over the Columbus Crew to force a third leg of the MLS Playoffs round one series, the midfielder may have given the club some much needed momentum as they will return to Columbus, where the Crew has been near perfect, for a must win match to keep their playoff run alive. Tuesday’s win for United was nearly a 180 degree performance compared to their outing last week, when the Crew handed Atlanta a 6-1 loss in which United had a record low, one shot throughout the match.
“How do you have one of the most abysmal nights in recent history on the road in Columbus with one shot on goal and then turn around a week later and just have a four goal barrage offensive explosion,” Steak Shapiro asked Atlanta United President and CEO, Garth Lagerwey as he joined Shapiro and Sandra Golden on The Steakhouse on Thursday. In response, Lagerwey was not hesitant to credit Almada, who had one goal on Tuesday and was out of the first level due to a record suspension in the final match of the regular season, and his presence for being huge factor in the performance swing.
“Look, you add an MVP candidate. Thiago Almada is going to finish in the top three of the MVP voting and he makes a massive difference in terms of how we play,” Lagerwey explained to Shapiro and Golden and would add that the midfielder’s return allowed the team to take the pitch in a more preferred style of play. “We were able to come out in what’s our normal formation, four defenders, five midfielders and a striker and everybody looked comfortable, everybody was cohesive and we laid one on them. We got back in the series,” Lagerwey told the midday duo.
Click link above to hear Steak and Sandra’s conversation with Garth Lagerwey in its entirety: