Bobby Boswell sheds light on Atlanta United's training tactics

Dylan Butler

Retired defender Bobby Boswell provided a glimpse of what it is like inside the Atlanta United training ground, and by doing so inside the tactical mind of Tata Martino in a Twitter thread following the Five Stripes comprehensive 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls in the opening leg of the Eastern Conference Championship Sunday night.

Boswell, who spent the majority of his stellar MLS career with D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo and ended with Atlanta United in 2017.

He only made one appearance — he details why in the thread — but noted some differences inside Martino’s camp compared to others he saw during his playing career.

I cannot speak for all other MLS teams, but it was a ridiculous amount of exercise in possession out of the back in Atlanta. The concept of moving into space that is not occupied is taught daily. I had never seen anything like it in my career.
— Bobby Boswell (@bobbyboswell) November 26, 2018

When you attempt to press them high up the field, you are doing it against a team who has worked on that to the point of exhaustion. Atlanta is not unbeatable. They make mistakes like all teams do. But possession out of the back is their bread & butter. Their pan y mantequilla.
— Bobby Boswell (@bobbyboswell) November 26, 2018