Atlanta (2-3-0) will host Nashville on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the resumption of the MLS season. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. It will be broadcast on Fox Sports South and 92.9FM. You can follow Doug Roberson’s coverage on twitter @DougRobersonAJC.
Nashville (@NashvilleSC)
Record: 1-2-1.
Record against Atlanta United: 0-1-0 with a 2-1 loss in the season-opening game.
Manager: Gary Smith.
Likely formation: 4-2-3-1.
Key players: Walker Zimmerman, centerback, one goal, five shots.
Hany Mukhtar, midfielder, 11 shots, two on goal.
David Accam, forward, one goal, three shots.
Starting formation in its last game:
1 G Joe Willis
3 D Jalil Anibaba
25 D Walker Zimmerman
4 D Dave Romney
2 D Daniel Lovitz
12 M Alistair Johnston
6 M Dax McCarty
20 M Aníbal Godoy
8 M Randall Leal
9 F Dominique Badji
10 F Hany Mukhtar
Analysis: Nashville is an old-school team, typically playing two lines of four that sit deep. It has speedy forwards like Accam and hopes to score off counters or set-pieces, which is why it has just two goals. One of its goals came from a set-piece against Atlanta United in the season-opening game:
Atlanta United’s success will depend upon how quickly it moves the ball. If it’s deliberate and slow with its passes, it will be easy for Nashville to defend. Look for Pity Martinez, Ezequiel Barco and Emerson Hyndman to look to combine in the middle, force Nashville’s defenders to move, which will create space for Erick Torres to exploit.
