On Sunday, Atlanta United return home following their four-match road stretch as they host Eastern Conference opponents D.C. United. Atlanta (3-2-2) are searching for their second straight win, meanwhile D.C. (2-3-2) are looking for their first road victory of the season. You can catch the match on Sunday at 3:00pm ET on FS1 or via FOX Sports GO.
Ahead of today’s United vs United matchup in Atlanta, we broke down the Tools to the Match presented by Home Depot.
1) Press High, Force Mistakes
Last week against Real Salt Lake, two of Atlanta United’s goals stemmed from their ability to high press and dispossess the opponent in their own half. There’s no doubt Tata Martino’s side will continue their defensive strategy this weekend, and it could pay big time dividends against a depleted D.C. United side who’ve been struggling with a make-shift back four.
2) Find the Feet of #10
Week after week Miguel Almirón continues to prove why he’s one of the most dangerous playmakers in MLS. The Paraguayan has recorded two goals and four assists on the season thus far and last week at Real Salt Lake, though only tallying one assist, was directly involved in all three of Atlanta’s goals. If the home side can continue to find the feet of their number 10, there’s a good chance Atlanta United could bag 3+ goals again this weekend and add to their conference-high 17 goals on the season.
3) Composure Out of the Back
Whether low or high pressure situations, Tata Martino’s side has been trained to build out of the back and it’s one of the reasons Atlanta United continue to dominate the possession statistic. With a back line including the likes of Greg Garza, Leandro González Pirez, Michael Parkhurst, and Tyrone Mears, this is a defense shaped from composure. While playing on the ground from the defensive third can be dicey at times, their ability to get numbers forward and play out of the back is a major reason they’ve been able to score the second highest number of goals in the league in the 2017 campaign (Portland leads with 18).
