Here are five things to know about Atlanta United this week:
1. Atlanta United defeated D.C. United and turnover machine Wayne Rooney 3-1 on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium behind hat-trick from Josef Martinez.
2. Martinez not only leads MLS in goals this season (22), he now leads the league in career hat-tricks (6). He needed just 42 games to accomplish that feat. He has 41 goals in 42 MLS games. Amazing.
3. The game was also notable for two reasons: Ezequiel Barco wasn't in the 18 and Andrew Carleton was in the 11. Barco won't play on Saturday against Montreal and Gerardo Martino said he must earn his way back into the lineup. Martino declined to say what Barco did to warrant this punishment. It will be interesting to see if he remains an All-Star for the upcoming game against Juventus on Aug. 1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. I've asked the league. I'm waiting on a response.
4. Carleton looked solid in his first MLS start, playing a part in two of Atlanta United's goals. Eric Remedi also made his debut, coming on for the final few minutes to help shore up the defense. "It's beautiful to see a stadium full of people and chanting the whole time," Remedi said. "So that's very good and I enjoyed it a lot."
5. Here is a look at the race for the Supporters’ Shield. Atlanta United still leads the league in points (44), but can still be overtaken because other teams have played fewer games.
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