The home opener is finally here and Atlanta United welcomes Chicago Fire FC to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Following a long offseason, this will be the first chance for the 5-Stripes faithful to see the team at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2021. Limited capacity has been increased from the end of last season and the team will look to capitalize on that energy that the fans bring each and every time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Coming off a draw on the opening weekend, let’s take a look at the Tools to the Match presented by The Home Depot.
Another clean sheet por favor
Atlanta United’s defense has been perfect through the first three matches in all competitions in 2021. The 5-Stripes have not conceded a goal, and dating back to the end of the last season Atlanta has not conceded a goal in 395 consecutive minutes. Miles Robinson was named to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week after an outstanding performance in Orlando, which included him leading Atlanta United with 10 recoveries. Brad Guzan earned his 37th MLS Regular Season clean sheet since joining Atlanta. Containing the Chicago attack and posting another clean sheet will go a long way to earning three points on Saturday.
Keep an eye on Beric at all times
Slovenian striker Robert Beric joined Chicago Fire FC before last season and made an immediate impact in the Fire attack. Last season, Beric scored 12 goals to lead Chicago’s attack. He ranked tied for second in MLS, trailing only LAFC’s Diego Rossi. Beric fired off 62 total shots which ranked him fifth in MLS as the Fire just missed the playoffs.
Another player that Atlanta United head coach Gabriel Heinze is very familiar with is Gaston Gimenez. The central midfielder played under Heinze at Velez Sarsfield and was a key player during the 2018-19 season across all competitions. Gimenez had three assists in his first season with Chicago last year.
Find that final pass or final touch in attack
Atlanta United is creating opportunities through its first three matches in all competitions. Last week at Orlando, the 5-Stripes created eight chances and produced 11 shots. Brooks Lennon has created multiple chances in each match and last week led the team with 10 crosses or corners for Atlanta. Ezequiel Barco and Marcelino Moreno each created two chances in the opening MLS week. The 5-Stripes will look for the creative players to continue to create those opportunities and the goals should follow.
Atlanta’s passing accuracy has been on top in the opening weeks. Last week, the team passed at 88.20 percent, which ranked second in all of MLS. Santiago Sosa was one of the most accurate individual passers last week and he has been pulling the strings in the early weeks of 2021 campaign for the 5-Stripes.
Catch all the action Saturday night live on Bally Sports South as Atlanta United hosts Chicago Fire FC with kickoff set for 8pm ET.
