The 2024 season for Atlanta United has been a rollercoaster. There have been highs and lows, sometimes all at once. No one understands that more than Ronald Hernández. He has been a consistent part of Atlanta United since the 2021 season, and is one of the club’s longest serving players.
“I have been here for more than four years, and I’ve been struggling, that's the reality, but I never give up and for me I wake up everyday, come into the training ground to be better in each position that the coach says. I’m available and if I can play on the right, I play on the left, as a center back. For me, I can play, I can help the team. I will be happy to do it. It’s not easy sometimes when you don't play because you need to be strong in your mindset, but this is football, this is life. I hope I can keep constantly in the team,” said Hernández to Jason Longshore and Mike Conti after the 2-1 win against Columbus Crew.
After that match, he suffered an untimely injury as Atlanta headed into their second match in the Leagues Cup against Santos Laguna. Madison Crews and Jason Longshore had the opportunity to catch up with him last week.
Hernández was playing consistent minutes, and was in the starting 11 with Atlanta United since July after Caleb Wiley's transfer to Chelsea. He was playing the full 90 minutes for each of those matches until he was injured in training before Atlanta faced Santos Laguna in Leagues Cup.
“It was a difficult moment, to be honest. If you look from the outside, all the struggling and stuff, and then you prepare really well for the opportunity to come, and then you take it, you grab it. I felt pretty good, and then playing that amount of games and gain(ing) confidence and being part of the good leadership in the field and gaining some momentum with the team as well after the struggle a little bit,” said Hernandez. “It was a bittersweet moment because, like you said, an injury happened, but it happened. I cannot control that, you know? You start to reset a little bit to rebuild yourself, and then once again, prepare to come back stronger. That's the goal.”
Hernández traveled with Atlanta United 2 when they played Chattanooga FC on Sept. 1 where the Five Stripes took home three points. He played 31 minutes in that match and was slowly working his way back to full fitness before suffering another injury in training. His current timetable to return is unknown.
This is something Hernández has done all throughout his career with Atlanta, battle to prove himself and to earn time on the field. It’s an opportunity for him to improve, but it also allows him to take on a leadership role and help younger players who are trying to break through to the first team. Hernández has played five times for Atlanta United 2 during his time with the club, as well as featuring with rotated lineups in the US Open Cup.
“I want to make sure that every time I step in the field, whether it's second team, whether it's first team, I need to be 100%. Knowing that I'm in a different environment than I used to be (on an) everyday basis, I just try to lead by example, to show basically who I am, to try to develop the young guys and then (make them) feel comfortable, and then showing them that everyone is important,” said Hernández. “I know the second team is totally different than the first team, but it's an opportunity (for) me to show them whatever their goals, we can do it. If we put our individuals into the collectively, we can do something special.”
When asked if being a leader or a role model was something that he ever envisioned himself doing, Hernández admits it’s something that he never really thought about, but he is embracing this role within the team.
“I just came by the flow I think by my habits, like always talking (in) trainings, be always on time, things like that. It just became a habit for me to not be an example, but to be the best version of myself,” said Hernandez. “I never saw that happen(ing) to me, but because the time and all this stuff, people know me. Whether I play or whether I don't play, I think I'm the same guy. I can control my emotion(s) sometimes. I'm the guy that I hide that emotion and that I show them in other ways, but I always focus. First of all, I need to put the group first rather than myself and then after all this stuff and then look at myself from outside, okay, I can give a good purpose or maybe my values speak by itself that the guys or even the coach decide that I'm a good leader. That comes alone from outside, not coming from myself.”
Hernández knows what it is like to be a young player and trying to navigate the world of professional soccer, but unlike a lot of younger players now with Atlanta United, he didn’t have anyone he could look to for advice.
“Being back home [in Venezuela], it is (a) different system. Football or any other sport is either life or death. You win or you go and work in another kind of job. It's like that. When you go through the academy and stuff, every day you have to be on the top. One hundred percent because everyone is watching you,” said Hernández. “You never know if the first coach is watching you, the academy director, so my first step in my professional team back home is, it was like some of the guy(s) was injured and I started to play on midfield, and I started to play as a fullback and stuff. I always was available, so that was one of my strengths to went through it and make a professional.”
The Barinas, Venezuela native began his professional career with Zamora FC of the Venezuela Primera División where he played from 2015-2017. He then signed with Norwegian club Stabæk in August of 2017. This was a big step for Hernández not only for his career, but also stepping outside of Venezuela.
“I remember this like it was yesterday, because after the (U20) World Cup, we finished second. We lost the final against England, and then so many things was going on. We could hear rumors from everywhere in the world, especially from Europe,” said Hernández. “ I had the opportunity to play in Belgium, but because I didn't speak English at that time, it couldn't work out, so basically I was playing in Venezuela professional(ly). And then just right before the window finish(ed), Norway’s opportunity came up and then I remember my agent called me and said, 'Listen, we had this opportunity. It's up to you. I want to make sure that you know, Norway is f****** cold (laughs). It's not Venezuela. It's cold. Europe is a good step to start with, and then, yeah, we have this set up for you. They will allow you to learn English. They speak Norwegian, but they will allow you to speak English because your process is different than others and, yeah what do you think?'
And then I was a little bit nervous, scared because I didn't even know where Norway was (laughs). My dream was just that, to make the next step, so I said yes."
This couldn’t have been an easy decision for Hernández to make, but he needed to take a leap of faith to see how it would work out.
“It's what you want and you were working so hard for something like that. I expected something better, but because things work out differently, I needed to take that chance. This is an opportunity to come up. Okay, I will take it, because I need to repay the confidence that they are giving me,” said Hernandez. “It was a perfect scenario for me to develop for me, for my family, and good environments. It was one of the best countries in the world to live in, so I was so excited.”
Hernández moved to Aberdeen in January 2020, and two months later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It normally takes a while for a player to get settled, but the pandemic threw a wrench in those plans. The pandemic showed many of us how disruptive it can be to someone's life, and it really impacted Hernández while he was in Aberdeen.
“It was so funny because you came into the team, to the city, and everything is set for you to start your new journey. Then all of a sudden COVID happened, shut down everything, and you never know if you could play again or not. I couldn't even know if I was able to go back to Venezuela to see my family because I got stuck on my own,” said Hernández. “ It was an uncertain experience for me because you have the excitement to be in a new place and a new club, and the other, you have the uncertainty to know what's going on, what the future is going to bring. (Eventually) then we make a solution and then we started going again, but it was kind of a weird situation.”
After everything started opening back up again, that's when the opportunity came for Hernández to come to Atlanta ahead of the 2021 season. When asked what made him jump to Atlanta, he responded with two words.
“Josef Martinez. After everything, I have Atlanta United in front of me and then I say yes. I wanted to (spend) a year in Europe a little bit more, to be honest, but when you see Atlanta United from outside, when you see MLS growing up that fast, and then you have good people around you, the decision is easier. One side of me say, you can stay a little bit, the other side of me say, okay, let's go, it's an even bigger club here. I spoke with my family, I spoke with my agent and it was a perfect scenario for me. I had a national team teammate here, even though I didn't spend so much time with him [Josef Martinez] before I came here, but knowing that he was a reference, a big reference, not only in Atlanta United, in MLS and all the league. For me, it was the perfect scenario to come here and play my football.”
Hernández has been with the Five Stripes ever since. He has been with the club through all the ups and downs, but playing for Atlanta United means more to him that people realize.
“I just fell in love with the city, with the club. For me, Atlanta United, it's like Real Madrid. It's like the best, the best club in the world. They have given me the opportunity to develop as a professional, as a person as well,” said Hernández. “They welcome my family too, so for me, it's like a big purpose to come here every day and show my standard because this club deserves high standards. This is the way I see this club. I fell in love, not only with the facility and stuff, also, in the most important, with the people that work here.”
Many people from the outside might not know how close everyone is at Atlanta United. Not only from the players and the coaches, but from the grounds crew to the kitchen staff. Everyone is a part of this club, and that is what builds a great environment for Hernández and the whole team.
“It's such a good environment that sometimes when we struggle with the results. It's even more meaningful because in every club I have been at and in the past and around the world, when results don't come up, you're going to start to stress out. Here you have, of course, with football, our competitive spirit, we stress when we lose, but because of the people that work here, it makes that struggle easier. Like, not peaceful, but a lot better, and then we stick together,” said Hernández.
As Ronald spoke about the the environment in Atlanta, he was beaming as he talked about everyone who works at the Training Ground.
“Everyone is involved. The chef, the staff, the cleaning staff, even the people who cut the grass, all people around here, you can be face to face them and then everything is possible. There is always something to (bring) good in the day that makes you appreciate it even more that gives you the extra to work in the pitch.”
The Barinas, Venezuela native has always been a hard worker and he shows it everyday on the pitch. It can be hard to give all that you have and still not get the reward of starting, but this doesn’t diminish that fight he has to be one of the important players for Atlanta.
“It's frustrating. It's tough. It’s not easy because you not get(ting) pick(ed) on the weekends and then you do everything you can do during the week to get pick(ed). I just wanted to make sure that every day I step in the field whether it's training, scrimmage, games, anything, I wanted to evolve,” said Hernández. “I knew that I wasn't pick(ed) every time, so I need to work even harder, and extra if it's possible. I wanted to make sure that I could have the same level that the other guys that are playing because at some point, the opportunity will come. You never know when. That's the thing. That was my mindset. Every day comes and a new day, day by day. That was my mindset. Frustrating, yes. Difficult, yes, but every day is a new day to start.”
In the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Hernández's hard work and dedication was rewarded with starting and wearing the captain's armband for the first time at Atlanta United. He has went on to wear it more in 2024.
“I was proud. I was really proud because I remember all the stuff, all the trainings, losses, winning, different teammates, South American teammates, American teammates, academy teammates, different coaches, and it was special because I appreciate the club so much. It was a really special moment for me. I really enjoyed (it) even though (it) gave me an extra responsibility to give more,” said Hernández.
With so many ups and downs this season for the Five Stripes, Hernández talked about the changes that Interim Head Coach Rob Valentino has brought to the group.
“First of all, reset ourselves. He's trying to give us an identity. Who we are, what is most important for us, because when you know who you are, what you're looking for, why you do your things, why you play forward, why you play professionally, the way it starts to open up a little bit,” said Hernández. “The staff have been tough trying to replicate what we're gonna face in weekends, so they challenge us in very different ways throughout the weekend or throughout this small break, they try to challenge us mentally, physically, tactically even as a person as well, because we are a person at the end of the day. To be the best version of professionals, we need to be the best version as a person as well. With Rob, you can talk about so many things outside the field.”
As Atlanta United heads into the final seven games of the season, it is a narrow race to see which team will get the final spot in the MLS Playoffs. Heading into Wednesday’s match against Inter Miami, Atlanta sits in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings and has 31 points, two points outside of a playoff spot. Hernández gave his thoughts on what the Five Stripes need to do in order to make that playoff push.
“Consistency. For me, consistency. We have the human resources. We have all the resources here. Just consistency and then try to put those small details that were missing throughout the season together. We need to believe in ourselves at the end of the day,” said Hernandez. "The future will come, the past is already the past. If we can control what we can control, I'm pretty sure we can do something special at the end."
✍️: Madison Crews & Jason Longshore
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