Atlanta United (3-2-0) will take on NYCFC (1-4-1) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Citi Field. The game will be televised on AppleTV. You can follow Doug Roberson’s coverage on X (formerly known as Twitter) @DougRobersonAJC.
NYCFC manager: Nick Cushing
Atlanta United away record: 0-2-0
NYCFC home record: 1-1-0
NYCFC goals for/against: 4/8
NYCFC expected goals for/against: 5.3/8.7
Atlanta United goals for/against: 9/4
Atlanta United expected goals for/against: 7.7/6.0
Atlanta United all-time vs NYCFC: 4-5-6, 1-4-3 away
NYCFC key players
Santiago Rodriguez: Two goals
Alonso Martinez: One goal
Kevin O’Toole: One goal
Atlanta United key players
Giorgos Giakoumakis: Four goals
Jamal Thiare: Two goals
Saba Lobjanidze: One goal, three assists
Brooks Lennon: Three assists
Injury reports
Atlanta United
Out: Stian Gregersen (knee), Xande Silva (adductor) and Giakoumakis (knee).
NYCFC
None reported.
Storylines to watch
1. Getting a road result? Atlanta United 0-2-0 on the road with no goals scored. Based upon its history away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, those results are more the norm than unusual. MLS teams can win a possible 51 points from its 17 road games. Just once in its history has the team taken more than half that total. In the six non-COVID affected seasons, the team has taken a total of 107 points, or an average of 19.5 per season.
2. Jamal Thiare in. Thiare likely will replace Giakoumakis at striker. Thiare scored two goals in Sunday’s win against Chicago. Can he replicate that success as a starter?
3. Field size. Atlanta United has yet to play NYCFC at Citi Field, home of the Mets. Every team knows that dimensions of the pitch at Yankee Stadium, NYCFC’s usual home, don’t meet the FIFA’s minimum standards. Atlanta United is unsure if the pitch on Citi Field will be closer to normal. Pineda said the team has practiced as if it’s a few yards more narrow than a normal pitch.
What was said
“We’re going to go there, and we’re going to play our style. We’re going to play our identity, and we’re going to do what we do best and go for three points.” – Caleb Wiley
“It may change the way that we have to play, the size of the pitch, and we’re ready for that. But at the end of the day, we’re going to try and do what we work on during the week since the start of the season.” – Jay Fortune
“The job is to win this one so we can get two points per game. With that we kind of make up for the other two games that we didn’t win away. And you know the formula, we need a tie at least away, is a good formula to get in the top four and compete for the (Supporters Shield). So we have that objective of winning this game.” – Gonzalo Pineda
Officiating crew
REF: Rosendo Mendoza
AR1: Chris Elliott
AR2: Chris Wattam
4TH: Rubiel Vazquez
VAR: Timothy Ford
AVAR: Luis Guardia
Atlanta United’s predicted 11
Goalkeeper Brad Guzan
Centerback Derrick Williams
Centerback Noah Cobb
Right fullback Brooks Lennon
Left fullback Caleb Wiley
Defensive midfielder Bartosz Slisz
Midfielder Tristan Muyumba
Attacking midfielder Thiago Almada
Winger Saba Lobjanidze
Winger Tyler Wolff
Striker Jamal Thiare
For more content about Atlanta United
Follow me on Twitter/X @DougRobersonAJC
On Facebook at Atlanta United News Now
On Instagram at DouglasDavidRoberson
Atlanta United coverage on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Southern Fried Soccer podcast can be found
Apple - https://apple.co/3ISD6Ve
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3L8TN0C
Google podcasts - https://bit.ly/32KlZW3
If you are listening to us for the first time, please follow us on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast ... and if you like what you hear, please give us a good rating so we can grow the show. If you have questions about the MLS team, you can email Doug Roberson at droberson@ajc.com, DM him on Twitter @dougrobersonajc or call 404-526-2527.
Stay up to date every day on breaking news, in-depth investigations, politics, sports, entertainment, food and dining and so much more by becoming a subscriber to the AJC. Go to AJC.com/start for a very special offer and unlock hundreds of original articles published daily on the refreshed AJC.com and the new AJC mobile app. Plus, access to our news alerts, subscriber-only events, AJC original shows, films and videos, newsletters, and so much more.
Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule
Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0
March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1
March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0
March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0
March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0
April 6 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
April 14 vs. Philadelphia, 2:30 p.m., Fox
April 20 vs. Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
April 27 at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
May 4 vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
May 11 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
May 15 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
May 18 at Nashville, 1:30 p.m.
May 25 vs. LAFC, 7:30 p.m.
May 29 at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
June 2 vs Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., Fox
June 15 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m.
June 19 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 22 at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m.
June 29 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
July 3 at New England, 7:30 p.m.
July 6 at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m.
July 13 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 17 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
July 20 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
July 26 vs. D.C. United in Leagues Cup, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 4 vs. Santos Laguna in Leagues Cup, 4 p.m.
Aug. 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 31 at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 vs. Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Orlando, 6 p.m.
About the Author
