Over the next five weeks, Atlanta United will fly over 3,000 miles all over the eastern frontier of North America. The away journey in its entirety started with a match against New York Red Bulls May 31. Now, after a break for FIFA's international window, Atlanta United has five-straight road foes to face at a crucial point in the season.
Every single destination on the trip lies east of the city of Atlanta. It starts against NYCFC, then to Columbus, Ohio for a date with Columbus Crew. The 5-Stripes will then take to South Beach to face Inter Miami CF, and a week later up the East Coast to play D.C. United. Finally, they'll visit our northern neighbors with a match against Toronto FC.
But enough about geography. Atlanta United sits in 13th place in the Eastern Conference at the halfway point of its MLS regular season schedule, and this road run could make or break the season as the club pushes for a playoff spot. Head coach Ronny Deila and others spoke about how the international break — running until Tuesday, June 10 — could serve as a reset and spark some confidence on the road for the 5-Stripes.
Let's take a look at each matchup individually, examining key storylines and determining how Atlanta United could fare in each leg of the lengthy excursion:
Thursday, June 12 - at New York City FC
The 5-Stripes' first match against the Pigeons this year was a blockbuster. Atlanta United came back down 3-1 to win 4-3 as Deila got the best of his former club. On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, Deila will return to the touchline he once occupied every home match as the visitor.
Energy will be the key to this reverse fixture. Atlanta United had plenty of it the first time the two teams met, especially from the crowd of 17s at Mercedes-Benz Stadium who helped them to a result. They'll have to manufacture their own spirit on the road and weather the storm of what could be another high-scoring battle.
The players themselves will have their fitness tested. Both teams will have starters returning Stateside from their international team obligations, many of whom will have played in a game on Monday or Tuesday. How much energy will those guys have to give?
New York City has had 21 different players see minutes this season. For Atlanta, it's 24. Both sides very well may give chances to players further down the squad to see them through the 90 minutes.
Wednesday, June 25 - at Columbus Crew
The Crew are the first of three teams Atlanta United will face for the first time this season on this road trip. They'll get a bit of extra time to scout Columbus by playing a Thursday match against NYCFC.
The 5-Stripes will have their hands full out of possession, as Columbus leads MLS in completed passes with 9,245 according to MLSSoccer.com. That total is nearly 400 more passes completed than second-best San Diego.
Atlanta United's job is to not let Columbus' dominance sharing the ball convert into substantial chances. The Crew put just 33.6 percent of their shot attempts on target this season, good for eighth worst in the league. The 5-Stripes have majorly improved in their low-block defending this season and will need to show that again June 25.
Saturday, June 28 - at Inter Miami
Inter Miami will be amidst the Club World Cup, so there's a chance this match gets rescheduled if The Herons make it out of the group stage of the competition. Atlanta United and their Florida foes have shared some great matchups in recent seasons, and their game March 16 was no exception. Inter Miami won a close contest 2-1, as stars like Lionel Messi and Emmanuel Latte Lath scored.
If the match does take place on the originally scheduled date, there's no telling who would be available for either team. Atlanta United would be fresh off a midweek match, and Inter Miami would have played three Club World Cup games within the last two weeks.
What is for certain is that this match will look very different tactically. Deila's new five-at-the-back system will change the dynamic of this one, as Atlanta United have earned results against top Eastern Conference opponents with newfound ruthlessness going forward. They've scored seven goals in their last three matches on 15 shots on target.
The 5-Stripes still have to tighten up defensively if they want a chance to turn the tides. Inter Miami currently leads MLS in goals with 36 and is very capable of playing directly in behind with a league-best 55.3 percent of their long balls completed.
Saturday, June 5 - at D.C. United
The two United's are right next to each other in the table as things stand today, both averaging a point per match.
D.C. United have been a bit unlucky in terms of output this season, with just 17 goals scored on a little over 27 expected goals. They can strike at any time with 2024 MLS Golden Boot winner and English Premier League proven forward Christian Benteke up front. He himself has 9.6 expected goals on the season, top 10 in MLS, but has scored just six times. The man ahead of him with 9.7 expected goals is this year's Golden Boot leader Tai Baribo.
Atlanta United does have precedent for winning at Audi Field, having earned a 1-0 result there June 19, 2024. That win made it five straight seasons without a loss away at D.C. United, as the last time the 5-Stripes lost there was 2019.
Saturday, June 12 - at Toronto F.C.
The Canadian side are the only team during this stretch that are currently below Atlanta United in the league standings. Toronto F.C. is one of just four clubs with double digit losses at this point in the season. But that doesn't mean they can't turn things around by this time this fixture comes around. Six of their 10 losses were by just one goal.
The Reds are still a formidable defensive side and won't be easy to break down. Many of their defensive wins come from the last line of defense. Goalkeeper Sean Johnson currently leads MLS in saves with 66, one more than Brad Guzan.
The 5-Stripes will be looking for their first away win against Toronto since 2021, a result that may be more of a necessity if Atlanta wants a shot at a playoff berth. Atlanta United Unified will also join the road trip for their first international road trip of the season. They'll kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET the morning of June 12, and the first team will play in the evening.
