Atlanta United plays on the road again this weekend when they travel to take on Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field. After a draw last time out against the New York Red Bulls, Atlanta is looking for its first road win of the MLS season. Chicago is coming off a 3-3 draw at home vs. Philadelphia Union. With a victory on Saturday night, the 5-Stripes could climb a few spots in the Eastern Conference standings. Let’s take a look at the Tools to the Match presented by The Home Depot.
Find the finishing touch in front of goal
Atlanta United created several good opportunities in the match against the New York Red Bulls last time out. Especially in the second half, the 5-Stripes controlled the action and nearly found a game-winner late when Miles Robinson’s header hit the post. Atlanta has been consistent in creating chances this MLS season. With the exception of one match, Atlanta has created at least seven chances in every league match.
Brooks Lennon in particular has been the team’s top creator in recent weeks. He ranks second in MLS with 33 chances created, while his crossing accuracy is first in MLS at 40.4 percent among players with 25 or more crosses. Atlanta needs to continue to create those opportunities and find the finishing touch to turn those chances into goals on Saturday.
Don’t be fooled by Chicago’s league standing
While Chicago currently sits in last place in the Eastern Conference standings, they are a team that possesses quality players that Atlanta needs to be aware of. The midfield duo of Alvaro Medran and Luka Stojanovic have been solid this season. Stojanovic leads the team with three goals, while Medran created five chances and bagged two assists against the Union last time out. Head Coach Raphael Wicky made a formation change to a 3-5-2 vs. Philadelphia, which gave wingbacks Boris Sekulic and Miguel Navarro more freedom on the flanks to attack. The Fire responded by scoring three goals, the most they have scored in a match all season. The midfield and flanks will be key areas for Atlanta United to watch for on Saturday night.
Keep a clean sheet on the road
Coming off a clean sheet performance against the Red Bulls last weekend, Atlanta United’s defense will look to carry that momentum into this week at Chicago. Brad Guzan made four saves to preserve the clean sheet last week. His save percentage for the season is 78.3, which ranks him eighth in MLS entering this weekend.
The backline for Atlanta was outstanding against New York. Robinson,Lennon and Anton Walkes each won 100 percent of their tackles. Walkes led the team with six interceptions, which was the most by an Atlanta player in a single match since May 2018. The 5-Stripes have only kept one clean sheet on the road this year in the season opener at Orlando. They will look for another defensive effort like last week to keep Chicago off the scoresheet and bring home a positive result this weekend.
Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET from Soldier Field in Chicago as Atlanta United visits Chicago Fire FC. Fans can tune in on Bally Sports South or follow on radio on Star 94.1 FM.
