As a player and pundit, Alejandro Moreno has seen just about everything in MLS. And he does not like what he sees from Atlanta United at present.
The defending MLS Cup champion are winless in three to start the 2019 MLS regular season, after failing to beat Liga MX power Monterrey in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal.
Moreno, speaking on ESPNFC of his top and bottom teams in MLS so far this year, had his strongest words for Atlanta.
"You cannot talk about disappointment in MLS so far and not address Atlanta United," Moreno said to Alexis Nunes. "A team that, in my opinion, are playing with a parking brake on. It's like they're stuck in second gear and can't quite get out. The way they're playing doesn't match the personnel."
While Atlanta are the defending champs, two big offseason moves — the departures of head coach Tata Martino and playmaker Miguel Almiron — seem to have impacted the team in the opening weeks of the season.
"Their insistence on just passing the ball sideways and back just drives me crazy and I'm not even a fan of this team, but I have to imagine that people who go to this stadium and have seen this team play over the last couple seasons, they see this now and they cannot recognize what this team is. This is not even a shadow of the group we saw win an MLS Cup," Moreno said.
You can see that and more observations from Moreno on ESPN's website.
