Atlanta United has a must-win match vs Mexican side Santos Laguna on Sunday, August 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It will be the second match of the team's participation in the Leagues Cup this year and the one which will determine the standings for Group East 7 of the competition. Atlanta United and D.C. United already played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday, July 26, to a 3-3 draw which earned both sides a point; however, D.C. got one more point for winning a penalty shootouts round.
D.C. United beat Santos 3-0 when they played each other Wednesday, July 31, which means D.C. United will top the group going into the knockout stage, and either Atlanta or Santos will finish second. This is how Group East 7 stands at the moment:
Position | Team | Points |
1 | D.C. United | 5 |
2 | Atlanta United | 1 |
3 | Santos Laguna | 0 |
The top two teams from the group will advance to the knockout stages, which begins with the Round of 32. If Atlanta United advances, the team could host New York City FC in the Round of 32. That match would be played at Bobby Dodd Stadium in the campus of Georgia Tech and you can read all about those scenarios here.
What's at stake for Atlanta United vs Santos Laguna?
The answer is simple: WIN and ADVANCE. Atlanta needs all the support of the 17s due to the must win nature of the match on Sunday to continue their run in the Leagues Cup, regardless of the result between Santos and D.C. United on Wednesday. This is how it could play out:
- Atlanta would need at least a win in penalty kick shootouts vs Santos to advance to the Round of 32 as second in the group. Regardless, if Atlanta beat Santos in the 90 minutes of play or in penalty kick shootouts, Atlanta would finish second in the group.
- A loss vs Santos Laguna, in 90 minutes or penalty kicks, on Sunday would eliminate Atlanta United from Leagues Cup. Even though a Santos win in penalty shooutous will leave both teams with two points in the standings, the first tiebreaker for Leagues Cup is direct head-to-head, and a win in penalty kicks is a win for purposes of this tiebreaker.
Match details
- Leagues Cup Matchday 3: Atlanta United vs Santos Laguna (MEX)
- Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium | View tickets
- Date: Sunday, Aug, 4
- Time: 4 p.m.
Leagues Cup
All of the clubs from MLS and Liga MX will compete in a completely reimagined Leagues Cup: an annual, month-long tournament that runs from July 26-August 25, 2024.
