Atlanta United heads up to New York to take on New York City FC on Wednesday night in another Eastern Conference matchup. The 5-Stripes are coming off a 2-2 draw against Philadelphia on the weekend, while New York City FC suffered a home defeat to New England. The match will be played at Red Bull Arena instead of Yankee Stadium. Let’s take a look at the Tools to the Match presented by The Home Depot.
Keep the unbeaten streak going
The 5-Stripes are coming into Wednesday’s contest with a 1-0-4 record in their last five matches. Atlanta is coming off back-to-back MLS matches where they scored multiple goals. The last time the team had a streak of at least three multi-goal matches in MLS play was July 17 - Aug. 18, 2019 (five consecutive matches). The attack has been consistently producing chances all season long as the players continue to execute head coach Gabriel Heinze’s system and style.
Brooks Lennon has been one of the most consistent attacking players on the team. He created eight chances in the last match, tied for the most in a single game in Atlanta’s MLS history. With several attacking players still missing, players like Lennon will need to continue to step up to help the 5-Stripes secure three road points on Wednesday night.
Keep Moralez and Castellanos in check
New York City FC features two of the more dangerous attack-minded players in the league. Maxi Moralez has consistently ranked among the top in MLS in the assist category since joining NYCFC. He had 16 assists in 2018 and followed that up with 20 assists in 2019. His 50 assists since 2017 are tied for the most in that time frame with Seattle’s Nico Lodeiro. Castellanos has been the main beneficiary of those assists. He has scored 22 goals since joining MLS in 2018, including four in eight matches this year. The 22-year-old Argentine ranks third in the league in shots with 33 this season. Atlanta’s defense will need to keep a close eye on both of these players on Wednesday night in order to bring home a positive result.
Continue to utilize set pieces
With key players like Josef Martinez and Emerson Hyndman missing from Atlanta United’s attack currently, set pieces take on an even greater role. The 5-Stripes displayed that against Philadelphia where they scored from one set piece and had a recycled corner lead to the second goal by Anton Walkes. Santiago Sosa was also a consistent threat on set pieces, winning several headers at the back post as he posted a season-high four shots vs. Philadelphia. Lennon, Ezequiel Barco, and Marcelino Moreno are all excellent at delivering quality set pieces into the box for those players to attack. That could be a key factor on Wednesday night.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Red Bull Arena as Atlanta United travels to face New York City FC. Fans can watch the action on Bally Sports Southeast or follow along on Star 94.1 FM as Atlanta seeks its second road win against NYCFC all-time.
