Atlanta United, with the league’s highest-scoring offense, will face Sporting KC, with the league’s best defense, on Sunday in a game of teams with similar styles.
The challenge of unlocking a group that has allowed only 17 goals and is unbeaten in 11 home games is tough enough without Atlanta United trying to do so without starting striker Josef Martinez, who has nine goals in nine games, and fullback Greg Garza, who leads the league’s defenders in chances created (26) this season. Atlanta United (10-7-4) has scored 41 goals, tied with NYCFC, but done so in one fewer game.
Sporting KC’s (9-4-9) defense is more than just goalkeeper Tim Melia, fifth in the league with 67 saves, and centerbacks Matt Besler and Ike Opara.
Goalkeeper Brad Guzan said the Sporting KC’s defense is the sum of all of its players, as well as the tactics of manager Peter Vermes.
Like Atlanta United, the team likes to press.
Like Atlanta United, the team likes to keep possession by using short passes. Those short passes mean the team rarely gets itself out of position when it does lose the ball.
“They are a very unified group,” Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino said. “They defend as a unit and don’t give you very much space to get between the lines.”
As it has the past two games, and several before that, Atlanta United likely will look to Hector Villalba to fill in for Martinez and find a way through Sporting KC’s structure. Villalba leads Atlanta United with 10 goals, including two in the past two games.
Mikey Ambrose will fill in for Garza, who is expected to be out 7-10 days after suffering a separated shoulder during Wednesday’s MLS All-Star game. It will be Ambrose’s first start for the Five Stripes in a league game this season.
Sporting KC’s work on defense translates to the team’s offense, which, at least after one game, doesn’t seem to miss Dom Dwyer, who was traded to Orlando City. Behind goals from Latif Blessing, Daniel Salloi and Benny Feilhaber, Sporting KC defeated Chicago 3-2 last week.
Atlanta United centerback Michael Parkhurst said Diego Rubio, who had an assist in the win against Chicago, may be a better fit than Dwyer within Vermes’ tactics.
Rubio, a 24-year-old from Chile, has one goal and one assist in five appearances this season.
“Rubio brings a different dynamic,” Parkhurst said. “He links up well with his teammates. He brings them into the play. He’s a smart player. Not as fast … and maybe not the same fight as Dwyer, but a very good soccer player.”
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