Bradley Carnell knows there’s not much to say as the Union hope to right some wrongs against Atlanta

Bradley Carnell was a man of few words Thursday, primarily because not much had changed in his tone or approach following Tuesday night’s loss to Club América in the round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

But during the roughly four minutes the Union manager was at the podium, he reiterated that his group is eager to end a three-game losing streak across all competitions and secure its first win in Major League Soccer, one of just five teams in the Eastern Conference still searching for the same.

Coincidentally, host Atlanta, next up for the Union on Saturday (3:15 p.m., Fox29, Apple TV), is one of them.

“I don’t know what [Atlanta is] feeling and what they’re seeing, but we’ve seen some real positive signs that we are trending in the right direction,” Carnell said. “But that doesn’t mean anything if we don’t execute, right? So that’s the downside.”

Execution certainly has been lacking in league play for a Union side that has just one goal — an 89th-minute penalty kick against New York City FC — in its last three matches since a seven-goal outburst against Trinidad’s Defence Force during opening-round play of the Champions Cup.

That largely is because of a rotating collective on the attack. Over the last few games, players like Agustín Anello, Bruno Damiani, Cavan Sullivan, and even Frankie Westfield have been used in various roles, making it clear that there’s still a good bit to iron out to form a cohesive attacking unit.

What’s intriguing is that this 0-3 Atlanta team, on paper, anyway, is quite good. It has been spearheaded by the return of its star prodigal son, Miguel Almirón, who returned to United in January after a successful two years in the English Premier League with Newcastle United. Earlier this month, Atlanta manager Tata Martino told the team’s website that Almirón is there to “help the growth of the group.”

“That’s what I believe Miguel is going to contribute,” Martino said. “Naturally, he’s a leader in football. I believe now that he also has other responsibilities with respect to the group as a byproduct of the great journey that he’s made.”

His return hasn’t amounted to much so far, as United have just two goals in MLS play and were shut out, 2-0, twice, by Cincinnati and San Jose.

In addition to Almirón as a threat out wide who routinely pinches in to join the attack, the Union will need to keep tabs on forward Emmanuel Latte Lath. The league’s record signing last season who arrived by way of a $22 million transfer fee from Middlesbrough United in the English second division, Latte Lath is looking to raise his stature in a quest for a call-up by his native Ivory Coast, which will play a pair of matches at Lincoln Financial Field as part of this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

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But this is less about United flexing its muscles than it is the Union finding a way to buck the trend of unsuccessful attempts on goal. Carnell mentioned that he’s traveling to the ATL with “a healthy group of guys who are recovering well” and noted that the natural grass surface for the match inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium “evens the playing field.”

It sounded as if there were few complaints about what his team needs to do. Atlanta offers the perfect platform to kick-start the Union’s resurgence before the second leg of Champions Cup play sends the team to Mexico’s Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes on Wednesday (9 p.m., FS2).

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“We want to travel there with the energy that we expect, and the commitment, and continue to be brave and execute in the moments that got away from us against Club América,” Carnell said. “How we ended the game [against Club América] is for sure how we want to start [against Atlanta]. With that same intensity and energy, and hopefully get the ball over the line.”