Atlanta United (4-8-4) will host Houston (6-6-4) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The game will be televised on AppleTV, and you can follow Doug Roberson’s coverage on X (formerly Twitter) @DougRobersonAJC.
Houston manager: Ben Olsen
Houston away record: 3-4-1
Atlanta United home record: 3-5-1
Houston goals for/against: 18/18
Houston expected goals for/against: 17.8/18.9
Atlanta United goals for/against: 22/21
Atlanta United expected goals for/against: 25.5/20.4
Houston key players
Ibrahim Aliyu: Four goals, two assists
Amine Bassi: Two goals, three assists
Sebastian Kowalcyzk: Three goals
Atlanta United key players
Saba Lobjanidze: Four goals, four assists
Thiago Almada: Four goals, two assists
Brooks Lennon: Five assists
Jamal Thiare: Four goals
Injury reports (as of May 31)
Atlanta United
Out: Luis Abram (Copa America), Saba Lobjanidze (Euros), Stian Gregersen (hamstring) and Bartosz Slisz (Euros)
Questionable: Tyler Wolff (knee) and Giorgos Giakoumakis (negotiations)
Houston
None reported
What was said?
“Rob’s the type of guy that I think everyone, I think you guys all know this, certainly everyone on the other side of the building we all know he has the respect and the trust of of everyone in terms of his relationships with individuals. We’ve got to look forward. We can’t look back. We’ve got to look forward, and we’ve got to try and correct this.” – Brad Guzan on interim manager Rob Valentino
“I think every single time we step on the on the field, whether it be at Mercedes-Benz or away from home, it’s a do-or-die situation for us right now. Every chance that we get to get results, we have to give absolutely everything because that’s how you turn it around. That’s how you turn around and make the playoffs, and we’re definitely capable to turn it around and get into the playoffs this year. It starts with the work and practice, and we’ve done that.” – Brooks Lennon
“We just need to get this thing going in the right direction. And so I think for me, a lot of it is mental. And if we can get a good result, a positive result at home, which means three points, then I think we can turn the page and start moving this thing forward and trying to get back into the playoff conversation.” – Dax McCarty
“If we’re making the same mistake, we have issues. Making new mistakes, OK, great. We learn from the next one, and we move on. So I think it’s giving them that ability to be vulnerable, a little bit, in that moment of, ‘I’m going to try this path, if it comes off, great, if it doesn’t, I’m going to work to get it back.’ So there’s that. And then we’re trying to simplify the message, in certain ways, of how we can have give them some structure, but also some freedom within that structure.” – Valentino
Officiating crew
Referee: Victor Rivas
Assistants: Chantal Boudreau and Jeffrey Swartzel
Fourth official: Ted Unkel
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
AVAR: TJ Zablocki
Atlanta United’s predicted 11
Goalkeeper Brad Guzan
Centerback Efrain Morales
Centerback Noah Cobb
Centerback Derrick Williams
Right fullback Brooks Lennon
Left fullback Caleb Wiley
Midfielder Dax McCarty
Midfielder Tristan Muyumba
Midfielder Thiago Almada
Midfielder Edwin Mosquera
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.
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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 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1
April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2
April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1
April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1
May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1
May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in U.S. Open Cup
May 11 D.C. United 3, Atlanta United 2
May 15 Cincinnati 1, Atlanta United 0
May 18 Atlanta United 1, Nashville 1
May 21 Atlanta United 0 (5), Charleston 0 (4) in U.S. Open Cup
May 25 LAFC 1, Atlanta United 0
May 29 Atlanta United 3, Miami 1
June 2 Charlotte 3, Atlanta United 2
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.
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