Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino on Friday said that the team is focused on Sunday's game against Chicago, even as reports have him leading Mexico's national team as soon as the MLS season concludes.
“In these kinds of situations, if the results are good then everyone will say the team is focused, and if the results are bad then everyone will say the team is thinking about other things, but we can’t control any of that stuff,” Martino said. “We think the guys are focused.”
The rumors have persisted for weeks. While Atlanta United didn’t play well three weeks ago at the New York Red Bulls, suffering a comprehensive 2-0 loss, it bounced back a week later to defeat New England 2-1.
Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan said rumors are a part of being on a good professional sports team.
“When you are at a good team, at a good club and things are going well, there will always be discussions around players, and it just happens to be a lot of the discussion is around the manager,” Guzan said.
Guzan said the players aren’t discussing the reports and that Martino hasn’t discussed them with the team. Guzan said nothing needs to be discussed unless something becomes final and results in a change of leadership. Guzan, a veteran of MLS and the Premier League in England, said managers and players rarely discuss rumors, reports or future plans.
“If we start talking about rumors, those conversations will never end and we will never go out to train,” Guzan said.
Atlanta United leads New York Red Bulls by one point with two games remaining in the race for the Supporters’ Shield. Midfielder Julian Gressel said it would be a waste of hard work to let the distractions get in the way of the team’s pursuit of its first trophy.
“We’ve seen it with all these rumors,” Gressel said. “You don’t get these opportunities to win a trophy to often in your career.”
