Atlanta United at D.C. United: info to know for Saturday's match

Atlanta United will play at D.C. United in an MLS game Saturday at Audi Field. The Bally Sports South broadcast will begin at 7:30 p.m. Kickoff is set for 7:38 p.m. You can follow Doug Roberson’s live coverage on Twitter (@DougRobersonAJC). He will post a game story at AJC.com at the final whistle.

ExploreMore AJC coverage of Atlanta United

Managers: Atlanta United’s Gonzalo Pineda vs. D.C. United’s Hernan Losada

Site: Audi Field

Road/home records: Atlanta United on the road 0-1-0; D.C. United at home 1-0-1

Goals for/against: Atlanta United 8/8; D.C. United 5/4

Expected goals for/against: Atlanta United 5.6/5.8; D.C. United 5.1/6.0

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Atlanta United

Josef Martinez: Two goals, two assists

Marcelino Moreno: Two assists

Brooks Lennon: One goal

Thiago Almada: One goal

D.C. United

Ola Kamara: Two goals

Michael Estrada: Two goals

Russell Canouse: One goal

Julian Gressel: Six key passes

OFFICIATING CREW

Referee: Armando Villareal

Assistants: Ryan Graves, Brooke Mayo

Fourth Official: Guido Gonzales Jr.

VAR: Younes Marrakchi

AVAR: Jeff Muschik

INJURY REPORTS

For Atlanta United

Questionable: Franco Ibarra (leg)

Out: Machop Chol (leg), Luiz Araújo (hamstring), Dom Dwyer (red-card suspension) and Emerson Hyndman (torn ACL recovery)

For D.C. United

Out: Adrien Perez (foot)

WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT THE GAME

“Trying to be good with the ball. I think that’s the key for us. We’re good with the ball. We don’t give them a lot of chances to be direct, on the front foot. So we have to be good on the ball, brave on the ball, trying to put all of our concentration on connecting passes and passing with the right foot, passing with the right pace, play and move, creating rotations, attacking the spaces that we want to attack. And I think that’s a way. Obviously, we understand that they really like to be direct. They don’t want a lot of possession. They want to be direct, two to three passes then they go long, and then they come from the second ball, and then they’re very good at attacking the backline. So, obviously, we trained how to try to cover that. And hopefully that’ll work.” – Pineda on facing D.C. United’s tactics

“I think it’s really important to pick up points early in the season. Because by midseason, you kind of see teams are already starting to be in their place in the standings. And, last year, for example, New England was able to get a pretty big advantage early, and they were able to maintain that throughout the season. But we also understand it’s a very long season.” – Santiago Sosa

ATLANTA UNITED’S PREDICTED 11

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan

Right fullback Ronald Hernandez

Centerback George Campbell

Centerback Miles Robinson

Left fullback Andrew Gutman

Midfielder Ozzie Alonso

Midfielder Matheus Rossetto

Midfielder Marcelino Moreno

Right winger Brooks Lennon

Left winger Thiago Almada

Striker Josef Martinez