It’s no secret that September has been a grueling month, with Atlanta United’s eighth match in 24 days coming up on Tuesday. It was always going to be a crucial, even season-defining test for the Five Stripes, and it’s one they’ve largely passed.
“It’s been a long month, but it’s been a good month,” midfielder Chris McCann told media Monday. “We’ve gotten some really good results, and we’re three points off second place, which is a nice place to be.”
But those results are now in the past, and with a playoff spot now clinched, there are bigger goals on their mind. With fellow expansion side Minnesota United coming to Atlanta on Tuesday, the squad is focused on finishing their match-heavy stretch on a high.
“We want to end this eight-game stand with a positive result, with a win,” team captain Michael Parkhurst said after training. “We don’t want to disrupt the great work that we’ve done for seven games during this tough stretch. We want to finish it off with a win, we know that if we do, we can climb up into second place.”
Atlanta United’s last match against Minnesota was one of the most memorable in club history, a 6-1 victory that marked the red, black and gold’s first ever MLS win. But the players and coaches were quick to point out this will be a very different challenge.
“They’ve had time to train together,” head coach Tata Martino said through a translator. “Their coach has had time to instill his ideas in the players. They’ve also made some changes in the summer market to bring in new players, so they’re a completely different team. They’ve been competing a lot better lately, especially on the road.”
“By no means is it going to be an easy game,” McCann added. “Being the two expansion teams, they probably don’t want to be left behind or not get talked about, so they have a point to prove against us, so we’ve got to be on it tomorrow. We have the added incentive that if we win we will be tied for second, so it’s going to be a good game.”
There will be some rotation in the squad for Atlanta with head coach Tata Martino confirming Monday that Greg Garza and Anton Walkes will be held out of the lineup. They join Josef Martinez and Brad Guzan (international call-ups) as well as Miguel Almirón and Brandon Vazquez who will be out of the club’s usual 18-man roster. But every challenge presents an opportunity.
“We will have some fresh bodies out there, which will help,” Parkhurst said. “Guys need to be able to come in there and keep the level of play that we’ve had for the last seven games and show that they want to have a bigger role come the end of the season and playoff time.”
Despite the absences, the team is still in a confident mood on a twelve-match unbeaten streak in the ATL. They’re looking to build on recent success and put themselves in the best position possible for a deep MLS Cup Playoff run.
“Any time a team can come in second place or the top four, even to have at least a home game in that play-in game, it’s a good season,” Parkhurst said. “That’s important. So for us to do it in year one would be awesome.”
Tuesday’s match will kick off at 7:00 p.m. from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The game will be broadcast on FOX Sports South and the FOX Sports GO app. Tickets are still available, so make sure to reserve your spot here.
