Atlanta United plays its final match before the Leagues Cup break on Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams in the Columbus Crew. The 5-Stripes are coming off a hard fought 2-2 draw in a midweek matchup against NYCFC, while the Crew were held to a 1-1 draw at home against Charlotte FC. Atlanta is looking to make a move up the standings in the East where it currently sits in 12th place, but it’s only two points out of the eighth spot. Columbus has its eyes on the top of the East as it currently sits in third just seven points behind Inter Miami but with two matches in hand. Let’s take a look at the Tools to the Match presented by Home Depot against Columbus Crew.
Find a way to play a complete 90 minutes
In the midweek draw against NYCFC, Atlanta came out on fire to start the match and throughout the first half. The team produced the fastest goal in club history when Daniel Ríos scored just 21 seconds into the match. They held NYCFC in check for most of the half and then added to the lead through Saba Lobjanidze late in that half. The second half was a different story when NYCFC piled on the pressure and eventually got the equalizer.
The challenge for Atlanta this weekend will be to put together a strong performance over the course of 90 minutes. Against a top team like Columbus, you can’t allow a drop in intensity and concentration or you will get punished quickly. If Atlanta can play with the intensity and quality it showed at times against NYCFC for the full match, it will have a chance to get a positive result against the Crew.
Disrupt Columbus’ free-flowing attack
One of the staples of Columbus’ game since Wilfried Nancy took over as head coach is how the Crew can play attractive, free-flowing attacking soccer. He allows the players the freedom to express themselves, while also giving them enough structure and guidance to counter press effectively and put numbers around the ball at all times. The Crew have several game-changing players in their squad that Atlanta’s defense will need to contain. Cucho Hernandez is one of the top strikers in the league and Diego Rossi has found his groove with the Crew after joining midseason last year. Former Atlanta midfielder Darlington Nagbe continues to organize and run the middle of the pitch.
This matchup will be a big test for Atlanta’s defense. They will need to play a top game in order to contain the multitude of attacking options Columbus has.
Take advantage of scoring opportunities that present themselves
Columbus has only given up 20 goals through 22 matches this season. That is by far the best defensive record in the league coming into this weekend. One of the keys to victory for Atlanta on Saturday will be to be clinical in front of goal when opportunities present themselves. The 5-Stripes put up a season-high nine shots on target against NYCFC. Winger Xande Silva had a career-high five shots on target by himself in that match. His teammate on the other wing, Lobjanidze, had a goal and an assist in the same match for only the second time in his Atlanta career. If they can carry over some of that attacking punch into Saturday’s contest, they could potentially cause the Crew some problems. Columbus’ defense has yet to give up more than two goals in any league match this season.
Fans can tune in on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV on Saturday night at 7:30 pm ET when the action kicks off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. To hear the action on radio, tune into Sports Radio 92.9 The Game (English) or La Mejor – AM 1600 (Spanish).
