Atlanta United plays at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the final time in the 2020 MLS Regular Season as the 5-Stripes host FC Cincinnati. With only two remaining matches left in the regular season, Atlanta needs all three points to keep its playoff hopes alive. The match kicks off at 7:00pm ET on Fox Sports Southeast. Let’s take a look at the Tools to the Match presented by The Home Depot.
Protect Your House
Atlanta United needs to get on the front foot early and often and protect Mercedes-Benz Stadium in order to stay alive for one of the final MLS Playoff spots. Atlanta’s home record this season is 3-4-2, while the team has 37 all-time home regular season wins since joining MLS in 2017. That’s the fourth-highest amount of home victories in that time period. With fans back in the stands to cheer on the 5-Stripes, it’s imperative to come out aggressively and build momentum towards a victory.
Be Aware of the Counter Attack
It’s no secret that Cincinnati will sit back and allow Atlanta United to have most of the possession on Sunday. The team from Ohio will look to utilize the counter attack to catch Atlanta’s defense off guard. Jürgen Locadia leads the team in shots with 45 and shots on target with 12. Cincinnati has struggled to find a consistent scoring threat, with the team managing 11 goals in their 21 matches so far. Joseph Gyau is another player who brings speed down the wings and can be dangerous on the break, while Yuya Kubo has already scored one goal against Atlanta back in March. The 5-Stripes defensive transition will need to be sharp in order to not fall behind against Cincinnati.
Utilize the Wings to Break Down Defense
One of the most successful tactics to beating a defense that likes to park the bus is to spread the ball wide quickly to pull the defense apart. Atlanta features some dangerous wingers that can exploit wide spaces if given the opportunity. Brooks Lennon is connecting on 30.21 percent of his crosses, the best mark in all of MLS (minimum 40 crosses). Jürgen Damm has delivered good crosses in the box that have led to goals as well. Marcelino Moreno picked up his first assist on a cross off a corner kick in Orlando to Cubo Torres.
Another way is to win the one-v-one dribbles that force the defense to adjust and open up spaces for other attackers. Atlanta has a dribble success rate of 57.71 percent, which is the 3rd-highest mark in MLS entering this weekend’s action. Look for those actions to help Atlanta open up Cincinnati’s defense and pick up three points.
Tune in to the match on Sunday on Fox Sports Southeast as Atlanta United hosts FC Cincinnati in a crucial game with kickoff set for 7:00pm ET.
