Atlanta United chooses Seattle assistant as new head coach
Atlanta United has named Gonzalo Pineda as its next head coach. He’s been an assistant with Seattle since 2017.
Atlanta United
Atlanta United has found a new head coach, signing 38-year-old Gonzalo Pineda to a contract through the 2024 season.
The mid-season announcement comes amid 18 months of upheaval for the club. Including interim coaches, Atlanta United has had five leaders since the start of the 2020 season. The team fired Gabriel Heinze earlier this summer after the team started the year with two wins, four losses and seven draws.
“We feel he’s someone who can be really successful in Major League Soccer,” team president Darren Eales said of Pineda. “And we feel really successful here in Atlanta. He gets importance of the fans, he gets that we are here in a league that’s still growing.”
Eales said Pineda’s knowledge of the league will help with the midseason transition. He said the team still has playoff aspirations. Atlanta is currently 3-6-9 and in the 10th place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings. The club’s next match is Sunday at home against Los Angeles.
“This wasn’t a quick fix, this is someone where we wanted to try and hire someone that could be with us long term,” Eales said. “We’re delighted it’s a long-term commitment.”
Rob Valentino will continue serving as interim coach for the next two matches before he returns to an assistant role and Pineda officially takes the reins. Pineda revealed in Thursday’s press conference that he recently tested positive for the coronavirus, despite being fully vaccinated. He said he looks forward to joining the team once he’s cleared.
Pineda has been an assistant with Seattle since 2017. He had a 13-year playing career as a midfielder in Mexico and later with Seattle. He’s also played for the Mexican national team but has never been a head coach.
“It’s not like I am new and I don’t know what to do in these situations,” Pineda said. “Of course I’m prepared, I feel prepared otherwise I wouldn’t have taken this fantastic job.”
Pineda said Atlanta United has the talent to make a playoff run this year.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a massive change in terms of the culture and ethos and the work ethic, I think they all have that,” Pineda said.
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