Atlanta United (14-8-7) will host Philadelphia (9-12-9) on Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
With a win, the Five Stripes have a chance to tie second-place NYCFC with 52 points. But they will have to do it without key playmaker Miguel Almiron, who sustained a hamstring injury in the first half of Sunday’s 2-0 win against Montreal.
Philadelphia and Atlanta United tied 2-2 in their previous meeting.
Jonathan Tannenwald has covered soccer for various outlets since 2003, and for the Philadelphia Inquirer since 2010. He answered three questions ahead ofWednesday’s game:
Q: Philadelphia was the last team to generate consistent chances against Atlanta United, how did it do that?
A: I suspect it had more to do with Atlanta playing poorly than Philadelphia playing well. Miguel Almirón wasn’t particularly assertive that night, and as a result the Union were able to go back at them.
Q: What are the manager and player's thoughts on how Atlanta United is playing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the team has scored 19 goals in five games?
A: Here was Jim Curtin this past Wednesday: “It’s scary, what they’re doing, to be honest. They’re a very good offense, a very good defense, a good team all around. 70,000 people [in the stands] — I’ve talked to a few coaches that have already unfortunately had to coach there, and they say the communication [with players on the field] is zero. You literally can’t hear anything, and it’s an incredible atmosphere that they have there.”
Q: What is the matchup to watch?
A: Andre Blake versus everybody coming at him. He is playing incredibly well right now, and fans will likely see on Wednesday why he is one of MLS’ very best goalkeepers.
About the Author
