After a wild weeknight finish out in San Jose, Atlanta United has no time to celebrate with another match coming up this Saturday against Real Salt Lake. With the squad from Utah in the thick of a playoff race of their own –– while not having a midweek match themselves –– it’s a stern test for the Five Stripes before their crucial match against the Red Bulls next week. With the Supporter’s Shield race still neck and neck, it’s another vital match for the red, black and gold in their return to their home field.
It’s a primetime Saturday night matchup kicking off at 7:00pm EST from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For those who can’t make the trip, tune in on Fox Sports Southeast or stream the match live on Fox Sports GO. Click here for all the ways to follow along with the match.
Atlanta United (18-5-6)
With 60 points in hand and a four-point lead on their closest rival, Atlanta United is in control at the top of the standings in the race for the Supporters’ Shield. And there’s still a chance at history: ten points in the final five matches would set a new record for points in the regular season.
That’s thanks in no small part to the high-flying offense. Josef Martinez extended his hold of history on Wednesday and now sits on an all-time best 30 goals this season. Miguel Almirón may be the in-form player in the league right now with three goals and two assists just this week. But this is in by no way a two-man team: Tito Villalba has scored goals in back-to-back games, including a trademark rocket against San Jose, while Julian Gressel’s incredible service from the wing has him just two assists behind the league lead this season with 13 on the year.
Complementing them in midfield could be Darlington Nagbe, who was rested in the midweek matchup after his long-anticipated return from injury last weekend in which he completed 100% of his passes in a standout showing. Fans will have to wait and see who else fills out the center of the park, with Jeff Larentowicz as strong as ever and Eric Remedi coming off a man-of-the-match performance against San Jose, but both having played two games already this week. And in the back is a defensive line eager to rebound from their match against San Jose, a group of players that will feel confident against any team they play in the fortress that is Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Real Salt Lake (13-10-6)
Real Salt Lake comes into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the middle of a hard-fought playoff contest of their own in the Eastern Conference. They currently sit in sixth place, five points above a Whitecaps team that’s on the outside of the playoff spots looking in –– so they’ll be fighting for every ball with their own postseason aspirations on the line.
It’s a team that was in a scintillating run of form earlier this month, with twelve goals scored in just two matches. Their dynamic front three of Damir Kreilach, Jefferson Savarino and Albert Rusnak has a combine 27 goals and 16 assists between them and are more than capable of causing problems for any MLS defense. But they struggled in their most recent outing, a 1-1 home draw against a struggling Minnesota United side, so Tata Martino and his coaching staff have some film to review on how to slow them down.
Leading the back line is a couple of MLS homegrown success stories in Justen Glad and Brooks Lennon, who has transitioned seamlessly from the winger position to an attacking fullback. And joining them could be former Manchester City defender Nedum Onouha, who was announced as the team’s latest signing just one week ago. Atlanta United is confident in whoever they face at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but this is a solid team with a lot on the line, so it should be another tense match that you won’t want to miss in Atlanta his weekend. Click here for everything you need to know about how to tune in.
