Can Tata Martino put the band back together in Atlanta? Ted sits down with Jason Longshore — commentator for Atlanta United on 92.9 The Game and founder of Soccer Down Here — to break down what the Five Stripes are building heading into 2026.
The Weirdest Season Leads to a Reunion Tour
Atlanta’s 2024 was baffling. Too much talent on the roster for the results they got. A manager in Ronnie Dila with three league titles in three countries. And somehow it never clicked. Injuries piled up, Latte Lat hit a wall after arriving mid-season from Middlesbrough, and Miggy Almiron wasn’t the same player who left in 2018 — because of course he wasn’t.
Now Tata Martino is back, and the entire vibe shifts. Jason breaks down what to expect from the man who led Atlanta to an MLS Cup in 2018 and what his second stint might look like tactically. The principles will be the same — high energy, counter-pressing, evolving shape — but the personnel questions are real. Does Tata go with a 4-3-3? A 3-5-1-1 like the Cup-winning run? It might depend on whether the wings sort themselves out.
Latte Lat Is the Season
Jason puts it simply: if Latte Lat scores 15 or more goals, Atlanta is a high-end Eastern Conference team. If he scores 12 or fewer, they’re not. That’s the entire equation. He’s the designated goal-scorer this team invested in, and after a rough adjustment period last year, a full offseason could be the difference.
Almiron, meanwhile, has found a smarter version of himself. He’s not 2018 Miggy anymore, but the second half of last season showed he can still be DP-level impactful by playing with more intelligence and less ground coverage. And Morantchuk — the player Jason thinks doesn’t get nearly enough respect — was the one sacrificing his positioning all last year to make room for Almiron. That kind of selflessness deserves a better result.
The Sleeper: Naya Mihai
Jason’s under-the-radar pick is center back Naya Mihai, who played his way back into Albania’s national team and could be on the field for World Cup qualifying playoffs in March. He came in vocal, wasn’t shy around Brad Guzan and the established veterans, and brings the all-purpose center back profile that thrives in MLS — physical enough to battle, skilled enough to play out of the back.
The Summer Could Change Everything
Atlanta isn’t done building. Jason expects the real moves to come in the summer window — especially with World Cup players potentially looking to stay in the U.S. after the tournament. The front office is keeping flexibility, avoiding buyouts now, and waiting for the market to open up. Two young Argentines in Tomas Jacob and Elias Baez are the early additions to watch, but the second half of the season could feature a very different roster.
Jason’s prediction: sixth in the East, with an up-and-down first half giving way to a strong rally after the World Cup break.
Hear the Full Interview
This preview is part of our ongoing Eastern Conference series available exclusively to Patreon subscribers. Ted and Jason go deep on the Guzan void, the Matthias Click trade disaster, Atlanta’s fan base mood, and whether cautious optimism can survive a slow start.
Listen to the full interview on Patreon →
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