Miles Robinson

Position: Center back

2021 League Games: 26 appearances, 25 starts

What went right in 2021

It was a banner year for the defender out of Syracuse. Not only did he establish himself as one of the best and most important defensive players in all of MLS, he was introduced into the USMNT setup and worked his way into becoming one of the first names on Gregg Berhalter’s teamsheet. Despite playing an extraordinary amount of matches between Atlanta and the national team, his form never really took a dip, always staying in between immaculate and exceptional. For the second time in his career he was honored with a spot in the MLS Best XI due to his outstanding performances throughout the season. While there were plenty of highlights for Miles with the Five Stripes in 2021, he made worldwide headlines in the summer by scoring the winning stoppage time goal against Mexico in the 2021 Gold Cup.

What to improve in 2022

If there’s one thing that needs to improve in 2022 when it comes to Miles Robinson it’s managing his minutes properly. It’s undeniable that he’s an integral asset at both the club and international levels. The fact of the matter is 2022 is going to be ridiculously busy due to World Cup qualifying and hopefully a World Cup to prepare for in the winter. It seemed like Miles’ minutes caught up to him late in the summer causing Gonzalo Pineda to give him a needed but unexpected period of rest during an important part of the schedule. It will be critical that the team does a better job of picking and choosing when to give him some time off to ensure he doesn’t get burnt out at any portion of the season.

2022 Season Outlook

Surprisingly there haven’t been any legitimate rumors linking Miles with a move to Europe so far this offseason. All signs point to him returning to Atlanta for 2022 and continuing to be a vital cog for the Five Stripes. There’s no doubt about his talent and place within the league as one of its best defenders. The question now becomes can he consistently produce at an extremely high level year in and year out? It’s setting up to be a massive year for him that will likely set the tone for the rest of his career. Expectations have never been higher with the World Cup looming and Atlanta United seemingly (hopefully) returning to contender status. Can he handle the pressure of being relied on as a crucial player for two teams? Will he go on to make his mark on the world stage in Qatar? There’s so much at stake this season for Atlanta’s defensive rock.