Atlanta United welcomes Los Angeles FC to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for an interconference showdown on Saturday night. Both teams sit on 99 MLS Regular Season wins coming into the match giving this contest a little extra meaning. Both teams are coming off midweek victories in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Atlanta defeated the top USL Championship team Charleston Battery in penalty kicks, while LAFC advanced with a convincing home victory over Loudoun. Atlanta will look to carry over some of that momentum into this weekend’s contest to get back on track in the regular season. LAFC has only managed one road win this season and sits in fifth place in the Western Conference ahead of Saturday’s clash. Let’s take a look at the Tools to the Match presented by the Home Depot against LAFC.
Provide options in the box for those dangerous crosses
One of Atlanta’s strengths all season has been the wing play. Whether it's the wingers getting into dangerous positions or the wingbacks, Brooks Lennon and Caleb Wiley most of the time, over or underlapping to create 2-v-1 situations on the flank, Atlanta is putting crosses into the box at a high level. They lead MLS in total successful crosses with 75, while also connecting on the most crosses from the endline with 15 ahead of Saturday’s match.
One of the keys to success this weekend will be getting more numbers in the box. At times, defenses have had a simple time marking one striker in the box and spoiling scoring opportunities for Atlanta from the wing. Atlanta needs to get more numbers in the box and provide different crossing options for the people on the wing. If it can do that this weekend, those crosses will have a better chance of being converted into goals.
Don’t allow LAFC’s midfield to take over the match
One of the strengths for LAFC has always been its midfield and attack. It features several midfielders who are good at attacking and defending, which gives the team a lot of versatility and makes it difficult for opposing midfielders. And once those midfielders are in control of the ball, they can pick out the dangerous attacking wingers like Denis Bouanga or Cristian Olivera. Bouanga once again leads the team with eight goals and five assists, while Olivera has added four goals. The midfield is led by Mateusz Bogusz (four goals and two assists) and Timmy Tillman (four goals, two assists). Saturday night will be a big challenge for Atlanta’s midfield. Whoever wins the midfield battle will most likely have the upper hand in the contest.
Be on the front foot from the opening whistle and get the crowd involved
Through 13 matches this season, Atlanta has only scored one goal in the opening 15 minutes of a match. That came way back on March 17 against Orlando City when Saba Lobjanidze scored in the 2-0 victory. One of the best ways for the team to gain some confidence and to get the crowd involved on Saturday night is to get that early goal. In every victory this season, Atlanta has scored the first goal and has held the halftime lead. On the flip side, LAFC is 7-1-0 (W-L-T) when scoring the first goal. If the 5-Stripes can be on the front foot early and capitalize on the energy in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and score an early goal, they will have a good chance to secure three points and keep the momentum going.
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, Ga. To hear the action on radio, tune into Sports Radio 92.9 The Game (English) or La Mejor – AM 1600 (Spanish).
