Atlanta United heads back on the road this weekend when the team travels to the Big Apple to take on New York Red Bulls. The 5-Stripes enter the match in a good run of form, unbeaten in their last seven matches. Atlanta sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with 29 points, while the Red Bulls are in 13th place with 20 points. Atlanta will look to receive a boost from some players who missed the midweek 2-2 draw vs. NYCFC due to international duty or suspension. The Red Bulls also played to a 2-2 draw vs. Charlotte FC in midweek, coming back from a 0-2 halftime deficit in the contest. Let’s take a closer look at the Tools to the Match presented by The Home Depot against New York Red Bulls.
Find the winning breakthrough at Red Bull Arena
Red Bull Arena, and the New York Red Bulls in particular, has not been the friendliest of away venues for Atlanta United. The 5-Stripes have only earned two road points in six all-time matches on the road against the Red Bulls ahead of Saturday’s matchup. In fact, Atlanta has only scored one goal at Red Bull Arena.
This season, Atlanta’s attack has been one of the calling cards for this team. The 5-Stripes lead the league in goals scored with 37, with a league-best 13 coming in the final 15 minutes of matches. Atlanta has scored two or more goals in 10 of its 19 matches this season. Giorgos Giakoumakis leads the line with 10 goals, while Thiago Almada is the MLS assist leader heading into the weekend with nine. If Atlanta’s attack can continue to dominate, that would go a long way to earning that elusive first win at Red Bull Arena.
Don’t fall into the Red Bull pressing trap
If you look at the stat sheet coming into Saturday’s match, you’ll see that the New York Red Bulls have only scored 13 goals in their 18 matches. That’s the lowest mark in the league. But the Red Bulls have a distinct style of play where they will press you all over the pitch and try and force mistakes in their attacking half. If they force turnovers close to Atlanta’s goal, they have players in attack that can punish you. Elias Manoel and Dante Vanzeir are the main attacking options. Luquinhas and Cristian Casseres Jr. are two midfielders who can unlock a defense if given time and space. Atlanta’s defense and midfield need to be decisive with their passing and not gift the Red Bulls easy opportunities.
Give Almada and Lennon targets in the box
Almada leads the league in assists with nine, while Brooks Lennon has already tied his single-season career-high with seven assists. That combined total of 16 assists is the most of any duo in MLS coming into this weekend. Almada still leads MLS with 50 chances created, despite playing in 16 matches. For comparison, San Jose’s Cristian Espinoza is tied with Almada for the league lead with 50 chances created, but he has played 19 matches.
Lennon’s pinpoint cross set up the game-tying goal for Atlanta on Wednesday vs. NYCFC in stoppage time. He now has 38 successful crosses this season, which is the fourth-highest total in MLS. If Almada and Lennon continue to create chances at a consistent rate, the Five Stripes will have a good chance at scoring goals and grabbing three points this weekend.
Fans can tune in nationally on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app on Saturday night at 7:30pm ET when the action kicks off at Red Bull Arena. To hear the action on radio, tune into Sports Radio 92.9 The Game (English) or La Mejor – AM 1600 (Spanish).
