Will Reilly will make his first career appearance and start with the senior team when Atlanta United kicks off against FC Cincinnati Saturday afternoon. Atlanta's Homegrown midfielder earned a first team contract this past offseason after a successful career with Atlanta United 2 and collegiate career at Stanford.
Eight first team players are out on international duty and unavailable for the 5-Stripes.
Reilly slots into the defensive midfield alongside Tristan Muyumba, who makes his third-straight start this season. The two will be tasked with holding possession and connecting attacking sequences among other duties. They'll look to continue the team's success in the midfield despite Bartosz Slisz being unavailable.
In defense, Matt Edwards will start his fourth game of the season, this time as the right center back. Head coach Ronny Deila mentioned this as a possibility after training Thursday. Edwards made his first career start in the season opener against CF Montréal Feb. 22. The 22-year-old has played in every game for Atlanta United this season, all at right back.
Xande Silva is prepared to step in as Miguel Almirón's replacement, with the Paraguayan out representing his country. Silva will play on the left-hand side, sliding Saba Lobjanidze to the right side of the attack. It will be Silva's first start for Atlanta United this season and his first since September 2024.
Atlanta United Starting XI:
Brad Guzan (C), Brooks Lennon, Derrick Williams, Matt Edwards, Pedro Amador, Tristan Muyumba, Will Reilly, Alexey Miranchuk, Xande Silva, Saba Lobjanidze, Emmanuel Latte Lath
Reserves: Josh Cohen, Ashton Gordon, Ronald Hernández, Jayden Hibbert, Mateusz Klich, Rodrigo Neri, Cooper Sanchez, Cayman Togashi
Match Notes:
-- Atlanta United is 5-4-5 (W-L-D) in its history against FC Cincinnati in MLS play. Entering Matchday 5, both Atlanta United and FC Cincinnati have scored four goals and conceded six so far this season. Atlanta will wear their Resurgens Kit for the first time this season.
-- Brooks Lennon is just one assist shy of breaking Atlanta United's all-time assists record. He sits on 39 career assists, tied with Julian Gressel for most in the club's history. He recorded the tying assist Sunday, March 16 against Inter Miami when his cross found Emmanuel Latte Lath for a header.
-- Will Reilly makes his first career MLS start. This is his first appearance for the senior team in his career, as he last played for Atlanta United 2 against New York Red Bulls II March 7.
-- Xande Silva is in the starting XI for the first time this season for Atlanta United. He has made three appearances as a substitute since the start of the regular season, all in the last three games. The last time Silva started a match was against Nashville SC Sept. 14, 2024.
-- Cayman Togashi currently has 49 career goals at the professional level. He's looking to score his first goal with Atlanta United and 50th in his career. He's made one substitute appearance so far this season, playing 14 minutes against New York Red Bulls.
-- Three Atlanta United 2 players signed Short-Term Agreements and will be in the reserves Saturday afternoon. Cooper Sanchez will wear No. 48, Nyk Sessock will wear No. 66 and Rodrigo Neri will wear No. 77. All of them have the opportunity to make their first career MLS appearance.
