After a historic night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium last weekend, Atlanta United (13-4-5) will try to keep that momentum going on the road against a resurgent Montreal Impact (9-12-1). The Five Stripes came out 4-1 winners the last time these two faced in Atlanta, but a trip to Canada is no easy task against a team that has only lost once in seven matches to pull up to fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
Ahead of this weekend’s game, we broke down the Tools to the Match presented by The Home Depot.
Take Care of Taider
Like Swiss international Bleram Dzemaili before him, Saphir Taider is the latest player to make the jump from Serie A to Montreal, making the move in January after seven years in the league. The Algerian international, who was key in their run at the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign, came with big expectations as a designated player signing. After a few months, he is starting to hit his stride. Taider may only have five goals on the season, but four of them have come in his last four appearances. A technical dribbler capable of driving runs to start the attacking momentum from the middle, Taider can push forward and cause some damage on the counter attack. Atlanta United will have to stay disciplined and keep their midfield shape, because Taider is a player that can punish a team that comes out of position.
Get Players in the Box
Josef Martinez’s scoring streak has been a sight to behold, but as great as it is to have a player in form, Tata Martino has preached the importance of getting more people in scoring positions. Against a Montreal side that opted to stay a little further back in defense the last time these two teams faced each other, having just one target in the box can cause some frustration for an offense that’s outnumbered near goal. Getting more people in the box not only gives Atlanta United’s creative outlets more options to find for scoring chances, it also opens up space for others. Martino has urged the fullbacks and central midfield options like Julian Gressel to make forward runs, because the more people the opponent has to cover in the box, the more pressure it puts on a packed defense, pulling apart their dense defense for chances on goal.
Prevent Piatti
While the supporting cast has changed, it’s still the same man leading the Montreal attack in his fifth year in the league. Argentine Ignacio Piatti is quietly putting yet another stellar season in his collection, with his ten goals and nine assists making him a contender to be the first player in the league with double digit goals and assists. Piatti is one of the most skilled dribblers in the league, very capable of breaking open a high press like Atlanta United’s. He can suck in defenders with his dribbling and take them out of the play with his passing –– so the Five Stripes can’t overpursue him on the ball and open up counter-attacking opportunities behind them. And as always when there’s a special player lining up on the other side of the ball: try to limit their time in possession and make sure there’s pressure on him when he gets it. Only by disrupting the man they call Nacho will they truly stifle an Impact team that has crept into the playoff places with a good run of recent form.
Follow the Match:
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, with the match set to be broadcast on Fox Sports Southeast and streamed on Fox Sports GO. You can listen to the game on the Atlanta United app or through one of our radio partners: 92.9 The Game or, for Spanish-speaking listeners, La Mejor Atlanta. Click here for a full rundown of how to follow along with the game.
