Atlanta United are one step into a crucial week in their season, and they’ll be looking to continue their winning ways as they travel to California to take on the Earthquakes for a midweek matchup. San Jose sits at the bottom of the MLS table and are coming off a 5-1 loss over the weekend, but Atlanta United have to make sure to take advantage to extend their lead at the top of a tight Supporters’ Shield race.
It’s a late kickoff with the match set to kick off at 11:00 p.m. EST from San Jose. For those who can’t make the trip, tune in on UniMás or stream the match live on Twitter. Click here for all the other ways to follow along with the match.
Atlanta United (17-5-6)
Atlanta United is coming off one of its most dominant performances of the season, a 3-0 win in Denver against the Rapids that was all but sealed by the halftime whistle. With the Red Bulls dropping points over the weekend, the Five Stripes are back in control of their Supporters’ Shield destiny, and will want to capitalize with a win to stretch their lead to four points.
Leading the way over the weekend with two goals and an assist was Miguel Almirón, who tormented the Rapids back line in a man-of-the-match performance that made him one of just three players in MLS this year to hit double digit assists and goals. But the key distributor in this match was Julian Gressel, who tormented the right side of the Rapids defense all day, laying two assists on a plate for his teammates in the win. His twelve assists on the season is now equal with Almirón for the most on the team this season. And of course, there’s the threat of Josef Martinez leading the way up top, with his 28 goals the most ever in an MLS season.
But the headline of Saturday’s match was the return of Darlington Nagbe, who slid right back in like he hadn’t missed a day, completing 100% of his passes in a dominant performance in the middle. His connection with Eric Remedi showed promising first signs, and Jeff Larentowicz’s incredible versatility was on full display with a comfortable performance in the back line. With three games in seven days this week, and three points important in every one of them, having reinforcements back and the versatility to slide into different positions will be a major advantage for head coach Tata Martino.
San Jose Earthquakes (4-16-8)
It’s fair to say this season has not turned out as plan for the San Jose Earthquakes, who currently sit at the bottom of the combined MLS standings. With just four points in their last six matches, they are officially eliminated from the playoff race. But after the team fired their coach earlier this week, the players will be up to impress their interim boss Steve Ralston. And for a team that hasn't been shut out since late July, so they’ve proven they have ways to threaten any MLS defense.
While there are other attacking options, any discussion of the ‘Quakes has to start with Chris Wondolowski, who currently sits at 142 career MLS goals, just three behind Landon Donovan for the all-time MLS record. San Jose will be eager to get Wondo on the score sheet to move him a step closer to history. But the primary attacking threat this year has been Dutch forward Danny Hoesen, who has notched an impressive 11 goals so far this season, including San Jose’s only score in a 17-minute cameo against Sporting Kansas City over the weekend. Quick, technical, and capable of a long-distance shot, the Atlanta United defense can’t afford to give him a yard of space when he’s on the ball on Wednesday.
But there will be opportunities for the Atlanta United attack against a San Jose side that has allowed 57 goals so far this season, more than every team but the LA Galaxy and Orlando City this year. The Five Stripes will be looking to find their midfield creators in space for one of their trademark counter-attacks to put the Earthquakes defense on their heels. And if they can get an early goal or two like they did this weekend against Colorado, it would go a long way to set up a similarly comfortable second half. That would not only relieve the tension of a must-win game, it would help save legs for another crucial match in just three days time.
The ‘Quakes may be a team without much left to play for this year. But it’s a crucial three points for an Atlanta United side pushing for the best record in MLS, so they can’t let their focus slip. If you’re not making the trip out west, make sure to tune in on Unimás or the live stream on Twitter. Click here for everything you need to know about how to tune in.
