Soccer is finally back in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. On Saturday, the 5-Stripes will play in Atlanta for the first time since March 7th.
Ahead of the matchup against Nashville SC, we broke down the Tools to the Match, presented by The Home Depot.
Home Pitch Advantage
Atlanta United will be playing at home for the first time in 5 months. The familiar sights of Mercedes-Benz Stadium will allow the players to feel at home heading into the third phase of the MLS regular season, including existing supporter signage displayed throughout the bowl. Although the 17s will be missed in the stadium, their presence will still be felt in the building. Fans will be asked to make their mark on the Golden Spike before the match using the hashtag #UniteAndConquer on Twitter. The Spike unites Atlanta United, and can now unite fans watching the match from home with the team. To help create the electric atmosphere our players are used to, the voices of our fans will be played throughout the match including authentic crowd noise, chants and goal celebrations from prior Atlanta United matches. Similar to past matches, fans will be able to vote for the Man of the Match on social media to hammer the spike after the match. The new look for matchday is meant to give the players the feeling of a home match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and to incorporate the continued passion and support of the 17s.
The last time the 5-Stripes played at home, the club earned 3 points after a dominant win over FC Cincinnati. Ezequiel Barco and Emerson Hyndman both scored in that match to secure the 2-1 win in the 2020 home opener. After a setback in the MLS is Back Tournament, Atlanta United has prepared to return to the pitch with increased resolve and a few new additions.
Gel as a Team
Since the last match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the front office has made quite a few changes to the roster. The club signed Tyler Wolff to its seventh Homegrown contract, and added two Mexican internationals, midfielder Jürgen Damm and forward Erick “Cubo” Torres, to reinforce the attack. The break after exiting the MLS is Back Tournament gave Atlanta United extra time to reenergize and bond as a team.
A new gaffer rounds out all the changes. Stephen Glass was promoted to interim head coach after leading Atlanta United 2. Henry Apaloo joined him from the 2’s as interim assistant coach. Rob Valentino and Goalkeeper coach, Liam Curran, round out Glass’ coaching staff. Saturday’s match against Nashville SC will mark the first match with the new staff at the helm. Glass has been with Atlanta since 2018 and looks to guide the 5-Stripes back to their attacking, aggressive style of play.
Capitalize on Momentum Shifts
Changes inherently bring renewed energy and excitement, and a fast start on Saturday will help the 5-Stripes get back to what they do best—winning. The hope is that all the hard work they have been doing behind the scenes since their last match on July 21st will come to fruition this weekend as they face Nashville SC.
Catch all the action of the return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium this Saturday at 7pm ET on Fox Sports Southeast.
