Match Preview: Atlanta United visits Charlotte FC for next chapter of regional rivalry

First Touches

• Saturday is the second of back-to-back road matches for Atlanta United. Last weekend, the 5-Stripes fell to L.A. Galaxy, the current first-place team in the Western Conference.
• Last weekend, Alexey Miranchuk made his first appearance for Atlanta United. The midfielder signed with the club from Atalanta in Italy’s Serie A. He's expected to be a strong chance creator for Atlanta.
• Our podcast the History of Atlanta Soccer remembers Anton Walkes, the late fullback who played for both Atlanta United and Charlotte FC. We talk to folks from both clubs to honor his life in our latest episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts.
• Who's in and who's out in Charlotte? View the Availability Report presented by Piedmont

Match Details

• Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Bank of America Stadium

Traveling to Charlotte for the match? View the Traveling Supporters Guide.

Staying in Atlanta? Check out some of our local pub partners and watch the match with fellow 17s!

How to watch, listen, and live stream Charlotte FC vs. Atlanta United

• TV: Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
• Listen: Local radio 92.9 The Game and La Mejor
• Live stream: Watch on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV App or visit https://tv.apple.com/
• Follow along: Follow the match with realtime stats and live play-by-play on our Matchday Hub Page

Atlanta United looks to get most out of back-to-back road trips

After spending last weekend on the West Coast, the first match for Atlanta since the Leagues Cup break, Atlanta United kicks off Saturday a little closer to home. On the trip to California, the 5-Stripes competed for about 60 minutes of the match, then the match shifted and the Western Conference leaders took over to win 2-0.

Before Leagues Cup break, Charlotte FC put together two solid results against two of the East's top teams: a draw with Columbus and a win over FC Cincinnati. But, like Atlanta, Charlotte didn't make it out of the group stage of Leagues Cup.

The rivalry heads to Bank of America Stadium

This is the second meeting between the two Southeastern rivals this season. Earlier in 2024, Charlotte FC came to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and beat Atlanta United 3-2. The last time these two teams played in North Carolina, Atlanta United Homegrown Caleb Wiley, who transferred to Chelsea in the English Premier League earlier this summer, tallied three goal contributions to shutout Charlotte 3-0.

• Tools to the Match: How Atlanta United brings back three points in rivalry match at Charlotte

Players To Watch

Alexey Miranchuk (Atlanta United) - All eyes will be on Atlanta United's latest designated player signing. The midfielder made his MLS debut against L.A., coming into the match as a second-half substitute. He enters his MLS career with high expectations that he will create chances for Atlanta United's attack and help the team make a push to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Pep Biel (Charlotte FC) - On the other side of the pitch, Charlotte FC has a new signing of their own: Pep Biel. The Spanish midfielder made his debut last weekend in Charlotte's 1-1 draw with New York Red Bulls and Biel showed flashes of ability. Similarly to Miranchuk, Charlotte FC hopes their new midfielder can be a connector in the attack.