Atlanta United President Darren Eales said not defeating Toronto was frustrating but the good thing is the MLS club still has two games to secure a playoff spot.
The team will qualify should it win at Red Bulls on Wednesday or should qualify if it can play the New York team to a draw. If it doesn’t earn the points there, it can in its final regular season game Sunday at Cincinnati.
“Being greedy, it’d be great to get two wins and then you’ve got a chance of getting a home playoff game because there’d be no better way for us to start in the playoffs than to have a home game because it’s such a huge advantage to us playing in Mercedes Benz stadium with our fans,” Eales said on Monday.
Atlanta United is sixth in the East with 47 points and is 9-3-5 at home this season. The top four seeds in the playoffs will host a playoff game.
To clinch the third seed, currently held by Nashville with 53 points, Atlanta United would need to win its next two games and hope that Nashville loses its finale against New York Red Bulls and that NYCFC, which is fourth with 50 points, loses or draws its finale against Philadelphia.
To clinch the fourth seed, Atlanta United would need to earn at least four points from its two games, and for NYCFC to lose its finale, and for Orlando, which is in fifth with 48 points, to not win its finale.
Among the current playoff teams in the East and West, Atlanta United is tied with Vancouver and Minnesota for fewest points (15) earned on the road. After Gabriel Heinze was fired in mid-July, under interim manager Rob Valentino and manager Gonzalo Pineda, Atlanta United has earned 11 of a possible 24 points from road games. The team has earned 33 of a possible 57 points from all games under Valentino and then Heinze.
Had the team not dropped four points total because of draws against NYCFC and Toronto after late goals were scored against them, Atlanta United wouldn’t need to be worrying about points and tie-breakers.
“I think if we went back in time, and we were in the start of July, I think we’d have all been excited to be in the position we’re in,” Eales said. “Now going into the last few games I think everything’s relative and you know, again, since we made that change, we’re at No. 2 in the East in terms of the record. So, you know, I feel really good about our progression.”
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Atlanta United’s 2021 MLS schedule
April 17 Atlanta United 0, Orlando 0
April 24 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 1
May 1 New England 2, Atlanta United 1
May 9 Atlanta United 1, Inter Miami 1
May 15 Atlanta United 1, Montreal 0
May 23 Atlanta United 1, Seattle 1
May 29 Atlanta United 2, Nashville 2
June 20 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2
June 23 NYCFC 1, Atlanta United 0
June 27 Atlanta United 0, New York Red Bulls 0
July 3 Chicago 3, Atlanta United 0
July 8 Atlanta United 2, Nashville 2
July 17 New England 1, Atlanta United 0
July 21 Atlanta United 1, Cincinnati 1
July 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0
July 30 Orlando 3, Atlanta United 2
Aug. 4 Atlanta United 2, Montreal 2
Aug. 7 Atlanta United 3, Columbus 2
Aug. 15 Atlanta United 1, LAFC 0
Aug. 18 Atlanta United 1, Toronto 0
Aug. 21 Atlanta United 2, D.C. United 1
Aug. 28 Nashville 2, Atlanta United 0
Sept. 10 Atlanta United 3, Orlando 0
Sept. 15 Atlanta United 4, Cincinnati 0
Sept. 18 Atlanta United 3, D.C. United 2
Sept. 25 Philadelphia 1, Atlanta United 0
Sept. 29 Atlanta United 1, Inter Miami 0
Oct. 2 Montreal 2, Atlanta United 1
Oct. 16 Atlanta United 2, Toronto 0
Oct. 20 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1
Oct. 27 Atlanta United 2, Miami 1
Oct. 30 Atlanta United 1, Toronto1
Nov. 3 at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Nov. 7 at Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
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