Atlanta United will open its MLS season by hosting San Jose on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The game will be broadcast for free on the MLS channel on AppleTV-plus. You can sync the radio broadcast from 92.9 FM through the app. You can follow the coverage of Doug Roberson, who has covered the franchise since 2014, on twitter @DougRobersonAJC.
Here is a scouting report for the game (all stats from last season):
San Jose manager: Luchi Gonzalez
Record: 8-15-11
San Jose on road: 1-11-5
Atlanta United at home: 8-4-5
San Jose goals for/against: 52/69
San Jose expected goals for/against: 44.9/60.8
Atlanta United goals for/against: 48/54
Atlanta United expected goals for/against: 55.8/50.2
San Jose key players
Jeremy Ebobisse: 17 goals, two assists
Cristian Espinoza: Seven goals, nine assists
Jamiro Monteiro: Four goals, six assists
San Jose new signings
Carlos Gruezo, defensive midfielder
Daniel, goalkeeper
Jonathan Mensah, centerback
Atlanta United key players
Thiago Almada: Six goals, 12 assists
Luiz Araujo: Four goals, six assists
Andrew Gutman: Four goals, two assists
Brooks Lennon: Two goals, seven assists
Atlanta United new signings
Giorgos Giakoumakis, striker
Luis Abram, centerback
Derrick Etienne, winger
Talking points
1. How will San Jose play under Gonzalez? The former U.S. men’s assistant is in his first year with the club. It has added talent, but can it make any progress?
2. Can San Jose’s defense hold up? It couldn’t last year in giving up the second-most goals in the league. It tried to strengthen its spine with the acquisitions of Gruezo as a DP, trading for Mensah and signing Daniel on a TAM deal.
3. How will Atlanta United play? It scored goals in bunches this preseason but it has also given up many goals, frequently when it has switched off mentally.
Injury reports
Atlanta United
Out: Santiago Sosa (suspended), Ozzie Alonso (recovery from torn ACL), Machop Chol (hamstring) and Tyler Wolff (shoulder).
San Jose
Unavailable
What was said
“For my side, I’m excited about the beginning of the season. I think we have had very good competitive matches in preseason, like as good or as challenging as an MLS game, like finishing up with Atlante down there with probably 20,000 fans in that stadium. It was really cool. Then Cruz Azul at the Stadio Azteca. Then we faced Toluca here in the AmFam Cup. And then we went to St. Louis away, it’s a new squad. So it’s been a good preseason in terms of testing us. And we were right there with every team. So for me, we’re just excited about starting to roll some good plays with goals, and I’m just excited about my team. So we just have to show it on Saturday.” – Pineda
“I think the first game is important. That’s why we’re all really motivated. We’ve all been working hard. And we want to start with winning three points in this game. So it is important, but also it’s important at the end of the season, and we want to be playing at the end.” – Araujo
Officiating crew
Referee: Jon Freemon
Assistants: Nick Uranga, Gianni Facchini
Fourth official: Matthew Nelson
VAR: Daniel Radford
AVAR: TJ Zablocki
Atlanta United’s predicted 11
Goalkeeper Brad Guzan
Centerback Miles Robinson
Centerback JuanJo Purata
Right fullback Brooks Lennon
Left fullback Andrew Gutman
Defensive midfielder Franco Ibarra
Midfielder Matheus Rossetto
Attacking midfielder Thiago Almada
Right wing Luiz Araujo
Left wing Caleb Wiley*
Striker Jackson Conway*
* Notes: Giakoumakis’ visa hadn’t arrived as of Thursday night. If it doesn’t arrive soon, he won’t be eligible to play in this game. If it arrives Friday, he may be a part of the game-day squad, but unlikely to start because he hasn’t been able to train with the team ... Abram and Etienne weren’t able to participate in training sessions until the final two weeks, so fitness may be an issue for them, too.
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Atlanta United’s 2023 MLS schedule
Feb. 25 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m.
March 4 vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m.
March 11 at Charlotte FC, noon, Fox
March 18 vs. Portland Timbers, 7:30 p.m.
March 25 at Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
April 1 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
April 8 at New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
April 15 at Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m.
April 23 vs. Chicago Fire FC, 4:30 p.m., FS1
April 29 at Nashville SC, 1:30 p.m., Fox
May 6 at Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
May 13 vs. Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m.
May 17 vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m.
May 20 at Chicago Fire FC, 8:30 p.m.
May 27 at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m.
May 31 vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m., FS1
June 3 at Los Angeles FC, 10:30 p.m.
June 10 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 21 vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
June 24 at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
July 2 vs. Philadelphia Union, 4 p.m., Fox
July 8 at CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 12 at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.
July 15 vs. Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m., FS1
Aug. 20 at Seattle Sounders, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 26 vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2 at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 vs. Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23 vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 7 vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 at FC Cincinnati, TBA
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