The international break is finally over and the final stretch of the regular season is here. Atlanta United is looking to clinch its first silverware in team history, and it could come as early as this weekend as they take on the Chicago Fire in their final home match of the 2018 regular season. The Five Stripes need some outside help to reach that first trophy as soon as this weekend, but they will be fully focused on what they can control: getting three points in front of more than 70,000 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It’s a crucial clash for the red, black and gold, and it kicks off at 3:00 p.m. EST Sunday from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For those who can’t make the trip, tune in on ESPN, or click here for all the other ways to follow along with the match.
Atlanta United (20-6-6)
In the final crunch of the regular season, every match will be the most important in Atlanta United’s young history. A win would set the record for wins in an MLS season, tie the all-time record for points in a season, and put them just one match away from clinching their first trophy in team history: the Supporters’ Shield, honoring the best regular season in MLS.
To do that, they may have to cope without their primary playmaker in the middle, with Miguel Almirón listed as questionable on a week-to-week basis with an injury to his leg. But there’s plenty of firepower still on the field for the league’s top-scoring attack, with Julian Gressel, Ezequiel Barco, Tito Villalba and Darlington Nagbe all ready to pull the strings in the Atlanta United midfield. And they’ll be looking to feed the player having the best scoring season of all time in Josef Martinez, who sits at a historic 30 goals already this season. The Golden Boot leader is one goal away from 50 in his MLS career and hasn’t scored in three matches, so he will be eager to snap back into his red-hot scoring form against a team that he’s scored against three times in three matches in league play so far in his career.
Headlining the back line could be the return of a long-term absence, with Greg Garza making his much-anticipated introduction back into full training over the international break. With Chris McCann back from a one-match suspension from yellow card accumulation and George Bello returning from international duty, it gives Tata Martino plenty of options to slot in at that left flank. They will join a top 5 MLS defense in goals allowed this season, with captain Michael Parkhurst and defensive stalwart Leandro González Pirez teaming up with goalkeeper Brad Guzan to once again gel into an elite team at the back.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. If Atlanta United win and the Philadelphia Union beat the Red Bulls, it will be the team’s first trophy in team history, as they clinch the best record in MLS this season and thereby win the Supporters’ Shield. If the Red Bulls win, three points for Atlanta United would maintain their one-point advantage in the Supporters’ Shield race heading into the final match day. And any points at all would officially clinch the Five Stripes’ berth in international competition for the first time, with a spot in next year’s Concacaf Champions League mathematically secured by as much as a draw on Sunday.
Chicago Fire (8-17-7)
The Chicago Fire have had a disappointing follow-up to their stellar 2017 campaign, sitting in tenth place in the Eastern Conference and officially eliminated from playoff contention. But it’s still a team that can take points off anyone, as evident by their dominant win over LAFC less than a month ago.
It starts with the European class in the middle: German legend Bastian Schweinsteiger. The former Bayern Munich star has been given a free role this season, allowed to drift around the field to put in immaculate touches and passing to dictate the flow and possession of the Fire passing game. And if he can help them break through the defensive pressure, the Fire have the players to take advantage of anything a defense gives them. Nemanja Nikolic may be off his Golden Boot pace from last season, but his 15 goals puts him just outside of the top 5 in MLS this year. Joining him is Serbian midfielder Aleksandar Katai, who leads the team in shots and has tallied 12 goals and 5 assists so far this year –– respectable by any measure, especially in a debut season. Together they are a handful for any team, and will require maximum focus from the Atlanta United defense this weekend.
While the Fire rank in the bottom half in goals allowed this season, there are still plenty of weapons in the back for Chicago. Defensive midfielders Dax McCarty and Brandt Bronico will lead the press from the middle of the park, while Brandon Vincent, Johan Kappelof and Jorge Corrales will be the last line of protection in front of a young goalkeeper in 24-year-old Stefan Cleveland. And this is an organized, disciplined team that knows how to defend. They caused some problems disrupting Atlanta United’s passing in the reverse fixture in Chicago, and were the ones that knocked the Five Stripes out of the U.S. Open Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium earlier this year. They are a tough opponent that will require concentration from the first whistle to the last for an Atlanta United side that needs three points to take another step toward history.
With so much on the line, this is a match you absolutely won’t want to miss, with the margin of error in the Supporters’ Shield as tight as ever. Make sure you’ve reserved your ticket here, or if you can’t make it, click here for everything you need to know about how to tune in.
