Atlanta United is back on the road Saturday night when they head to Audi Field to face D.C. United. It's an important showdown in the Eastern Conference playoff race as we head into the final weeks of the regular season. The match kicks off at 7pm ET on Fox Sports Southeast. Let’s take a look at the Tools to the Match presented by The Home Depot.
Take Advantage of Opportunities
Atlanta United is one of the top teams in MLS in terms of keeping possession at 56.93 percent coming into this matchup, while D.C. United only holds the ball 46.8 percent on average. Atlanta will need to turn that possession into chances. Another area where they can take advantage of is set pieces. The 5-Stripes are winning the most fouls in the attacking third (52) of any team in the league. That can help create scoring opportunities from set pieces for Atlanta as they look to pick up a crucial road win to jump back into the playoff spots.
Keep D.C. United’s Forwards quiet
D.C. United is tied for the second-fewest goals scored in MLS coming into this weekend’s action. Atlanta United will look to keep that attack quiet this weekend. Striker Ola Kamara and defender Frederic Brilliant are tied for D.C.’s team lead with two goals scored. MLS veteran midfielder Federico Higuain gives D.C. United an attacking option off the bench.
Conceding goals in the first half, especially in the opening 15 minutes, has been kryptonite for ATL UTD in 2020. The good news coming into Saturday is that D.C. United has only produced one goal in the first half all season long. Atlanta’s second half defense is the best in the league, having only conceded four goals in the final 45 minutes all year.
Unite and Conquer The Nation’s Capital
In the all-time series between these two sides, Atlanta trails 3-5-0. All three victories have come at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta United hopes to buck that trend this Saturday and collect its first-ever road win at D.C. United. With both teams battling for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, it’s going to be crucial to get off to a good start and not fall behind early. The 5-Stripes are 4-0-0 when scoring first this season.
“It’s always hard playing down a goal. You have to chase the game a lot more and then you have to take more risks than you normally would if the score was 0-0” said forward Adam Jahn in the post-match press conference following the last match at Chicago. “It’s always difficult to come from behind and I think it’s important to score that first goal in any game - easier said than done. We have to fix giving up early goals.”
Tune in to the match on Saturday night on Fox Sports Southeast when Atlanta United travels to take on D.C. United at 7pm ET.
