Atlanta United knows Montreal will be a challenge
Atlanta United will host Montreal on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a game that features teams at different places mentally.
Montreal is in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference with 30 points, despite a goal difference of minus-6. It is a team comfortable in its skin as a defense-first, counter-attacking team that has won three of its past four, including a 2-1 win over Portland on Wednesday.
“If you play 11-on-11 versus a very good organized team like Montreal, it’s difficult to create chances,” Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer said. “We have to have a very good day.”
Atlanta United is in fourth in the East with 26 points and a goal difference of plus-7. It is a team that seems to still be figuring out its best style of play under de Boer. Scoring it still a problem, especially with the team missing Josef Martinez, Ezequiel Barco and Hector Villalba, but the team has seemed sharp on defense until giving up two goals in a 3-2 win at Columbus in the U.S. Open Cup and three goals to Toronto in a 3-2 loss Wednesday. The game was doubly painful because Toronto scored on a penalty kick in the final seconds, and Atlanta United missed a penalty kick on the game’s final kick.
“The plays, of course, are in our heads,” de Boer said. “Entered the building still thinking of it. That’s normal when you have a disappointing result. Now focus is on Montreal.”
Captain Michael Parkhurst said Atlanta United simply wasn’t good enough against Toronto and got away from the things it had been doing well on defense. When the team returned to its fundamentals in the second half, it played better.
“Very bad taste about the performance, especially in the first half,” de Boer said.
If Atlanta United defeats Montreal it will pull to within one point of second place despite having played three less games.
But defeating Montreal hasn’t been easy for most teams. Its four wins away from Stade Saputo are the most in the MLS East and tied for most in the league.
But when it loses, it loses big. Its negative goal difference is the result of a bizarre 7-1 loss at Sporting KC in its fourth game, as well as 3-0 loss at Philadelphia, 4-2 loss at LAFC and 3-0 loss to Orlando.
Montreal likely will play with three centerbacks, two wingbacks, three midfielders and two strikers. Parkhurst said the interchanging runs between the wingbacks and midfielders can trouble a defense. Montreal will try to get the ball to Saphir Taider, who leads the team with seven goals.
“Montreal is a very solid team,” de Boer said. “They are very aggressive. Make the most fouls in MLS. They give the most longballs in MLS. They win a lot of second balls. Reason they are so high in the league.”
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