Atlanta United soon will be back at Mercedes-Benz Stadium after a three-match road stretch. On Saturday, the 5-Stripes will face Inter Miami CF for the third time this season at 7pm ET on Fox Sports Southeast.
Come Out Strong
Atlanta United needs to come out strong against an improved Inter Miami side. The 5-Stripes conceded the first goal in the teams’ last matchup and will look to reverse that trend this Saturday. Eric Remedi scored his first MLS regular season goal in that match, but ultimately Atlanta was unable to overcome its first half deficit leading to a 2-1 defeat at Inter Miami CF Stadium. Coming out on the front foot and scoring the first goal will provide a big confidence boost and will go a long way towards securing the three points. Atlanta United is 3-0-0 when scoring the first goal in MLS play this season.
Take Ownership of the Game
Atlanta’s last few matches have seen the 5-Stripes forced to react following opponents’ goals instead of controlling the game from kickoff. If Atlanta United can come out attacking and set the pace for themselves, Miami will have to fight to keep up. The 2020 MLS expansion club has struggled to score this season and Atlanta can capitalize on those challenges to secure the win.
“We need to come out from the first minute and be on top of teams, because you see out there that we can do it,” said Atlanta United defender Brooks Lennon. “We out-possess teams, move the ball well at times and we’re competing but we just can’t try to come from behind and try to equalize every game. We have to come from minute one and go up early and finish our chances.”
Avenge the Loss
Atlanta lost 2-1 at Miami last time the clubs met and will seek to avenge that loss on Saturday. The 5-Stripes out-shot Miami 13-8 and had more efforts on target (5-3) in that match. Earning three points on Saturday at home will be crucial as Atlanta looks to strengthen its playoff position. The team has been working hard on the training pitch this week and looks to showcase the results of those efforts on Saturday.
“We have to work our way out of it. We have plenty of talent, plenty of ability on the field, but we can’t allow ourselves to get to that place,” midfielder Jeff Larentowicz stated in his post-match interview against Nashville SC last weekend. “We have to believe that we’ll have ample opportunity to work ourselves up and work our way out of it.”
Tune-in to watch Atlanta United take on Inter Miami CF this Saturday at 7pm ET on Fox Sports Southeast.
