After months of waiting, the time has finally arrived for the red, black and gold to take the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. After a disappointing opening match, Atlanta United will be looking to rebound back into the win column in front of more than 70,000 screaming fans as they take on D.C. United, a team that proved to be a tough nut for the Five Stripes to crack last year. The players have all the motivation they need and will need a strong performance against a much-improved D.C. squad.
The match kicks off at 3:00 p.m. EST and will be nationally broadcast on ESPN. Click here for more details on how to follow along.
Atlanta United (0-1-0)
After a remarkable inaugural year, the Five Stripes stumbled out of the gate against a strong Houston Dynamo side. But after that wake-up call, the players have said all week that their focus is fully forward as they shake off the rust and learn from their first-week mistakes. The players will certainly be looking forward to playing at home, where they scored 48 goals last year, the most of any team since 2010.
Atlanta United will look to their high-flying attack led by Josef Martinez, Miguel Almirón and Tito Villalba up top, who were the catalyst for the second-highest goal-scoring offense in the league last year. Behind them will be some new faces in midfielder Darlington Nagbe and fullback Franco Escobar, who will look to build on valuable game experience with the squad in the first match as they settle into the lineup.
Tata Martino will have some decisions to make in his team selection. Leandro González Pirez has been dealing with a hip injury suffered in week one, so fans will have to wait to see if he is healthy and if Michael Parkhurst will be fit for a full 90 minutes after sitting out the first stretch of matchday one. Whatever team takes the field will be a different proposition than last week on the road, as 70,000 roaring fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium made Atlanta one of the hardest venues for opponents in the league in 2017.
D.C. United (0-0-1)
Despite their success against Atlanta United last year, D.C. United finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference last season, but they struggled in particular on the road, winning just three matches away from Washington D.C. But with a new stadium on the horizon and a new year ahead, D.C. has taken big strides toward improving their squad over the offseason.
Atlanta United knows one of those additions well, with former Five Stripes winger Yamil Asad making the move to the nation’s capital. He joins a strong, counter-attacking midfield in U.S. international Paul Arriola and Argentine Luciano Acosta to form a formidable middle three. While Acosta will be returning to the roster after suspension, Zoltán Steiber adds creativity to the middle and MLS veteran Darren Mattocks will look to use his athleticism to stretch the Atlanta United defense from the striker role. But keep an eye on the man in goal. While David Ousted is a strong goalkeeper in his own right, replacing one of the top netminders in MLS in Bill Hamid is a tall task for any player.
While D.C. showed improved, they struggled against Orlando City’s high-pressure system in week one. Despite playing for a man advantage for the entire second half, D.C. gave up a late goal and had to settle with a point. Atlanta United’s system creates plenty of defensive pressure of its own, and they’ll need every bit of it to break down the disciplined, deep-lying D.C. defense.
Both sides will be looking to get their first win of the season as they try to get their postseason ambitions on track, so it’s a match you don’t want to miss. Make sure you get your tickets here, or if you can’t make it, click here for everything you need to know about tuning in for the 3:00 p.m. kickoff on Sunday.
