Atlanta United will host Philadelphia on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is supposed to open the roof for only the second time for a soccer game.
The Five Stripes (8-3-2) are coming off a 1-1 draw at New England on Wednesday. Philadelphia (5-5-3) defeated Chicago 3-1 on Wednesday. The Union are unbeaten in four.
Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper), who covers the Union for the Philadelphia Inquirer, answered three questions about the game:
Q: Which player has been the biggest key to the team’s turnaround?
A: Playmaking midfielder Borek Dockal, the team's big-ticket offseason signing (his salary is $1.7 million), has really gotten in a groove lately. He has two goals, five assists and 11 chances created during the Union's current four-game unbeaten run. Also, the back line tandem of 19-year-old Americans Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie, both homegrown players, has been terrific. McKenzie probably won't play Saturday, though, because he was injured in Wednesday's win over Chicago. Though he might have been set to get this game off anyway.
Q: What could the loss of Earnie Stewart, who reportedly is a candidate for the general manager of the U.S. men’s national team, mean to the Union?
A: It's going to hurt, but what will matter a lot more is who they hire to replace him. The right candidate is going to have to be good at running an MLS youth academy, because the Union is one of the best, and the club wants to develop players to sell them. And then, of course, the candidate is going to have to know how to scout for under-the-radar foreign talent. The big challenge will be if (or when) the candidate goes into the job interview, and says to Union principal owner Jay Sugarman, "These are the guys I want to sign who can win in MLS and here's how much they will cost." If Sugarman says no because those players are too expensive for his taste, that's when there will really be a problem.
Q: What is the key matchup on Saturday and how do you think it will go?
A: Goalkeeper Andre Blake vs. everyone in Atlanta's attack, as is usually the case when these two teams meet.
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