First off, Happy Easter to those who celebrate.
And secondly, happy matchday to ALL who celebrate.
Atlanta United (2-2-0) is back in the Benz for some Sunday afternoon, big FOX televised fun against the Chicago Fire (1-2-2), now with no absences due to international duty. Wild, right? A complete turnaround in mood from a week ago in Toronto, where a decimated Five Stripes roster left as the losing side to the tune of 2-0. The expectations for this team can now return to their rightful (and admittedly pretty high) place.
All players have returned and are available for selection, minus the injured Stian Gregersen and Daniel Rios. Eager to put their team back on the rails, and in a building that has provided nothing but wins against Chicago (a 6-0-0 home all time record), there isn’t much of a reason for Atlanta to not claim three points at the end of the day. Additionally, as the only MLS match of the day and being about as widely televised a game as you can get, expect lots of eyes on the A this afternoon.
Kickoff is set for 3:45 PM in the Benz on a warm, cloudy Sunday afternoon. As previously mentioned, the game will air on FOX, and on FOX Deportes in Spanish, with streaming provided (for free this time) through Apple TV. Radio broadcasts can be heard on 92.9 The Game, SiriusXM FC on Channel 157, and in Spanish on La Mejor.
Before this afternoon’s match gets here, be sure to check out our match preview and predictions for everything you’ll need to know to be ready, then pop back over and into the comments below as your match thread to discuss all the action of the day.
Atlanta United’s Lineup:
Chicago Fire FC’s Lineup:
How to Watch:
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Kickoff Time: Sunday, March 31st; 3:45 PM EST
Available TV/Streaming: FOX, FOX Deportes, Apple TV (free with Apple ID)
Available Radio: 92.9 The Game, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM, SiriusXM FC Ch. 157
This thread will be your match thread. We don’t have many rules here. We just ask that you don’t insult each other personally and treat each other with respect. Debates can get heated and that’s fine, but name-calling and petty insults will get you banned. If you see a comment that you feel is out of line, please report it and it will be dealt with.
A win we knew we should get going into it, but still very encouraging. Cobb has been great, Thiare was excellent, Saba had some bad plays but continues to be excellent overall, and we didn’t look dependent on Almada.
Also, Lennon is a stud, as always. @Marcelo 😄
Great cutback by Thiare because thought he was going to shoot firstime, myself included. But he made it easier for himself by cutting it back. He sent that defender as well.
Good match. 3-0 Final!
Some thoughts as we approach 90:
Thought it was really good showing from Cobb today. I was pissed when we let Tubbs go, but it’s nice to see Pineda give minutes to Cobb.
Feels like we still have a gear we need to find. Great showing but we need to get a tad more clinical.
Lastly, am I the only one feeling meh about Almada this season? He doesn’t seem as electric as last year.
I thought he looked much better today.
Almada
Mm-hmm
Well right after you typed that Almada started doing stuff. I think the last 10 min or so he was looking amazing. Should’ve had himself a goal and an assist but Thiare was slighty offside but a dub is a dub. But I will agree with you in that these last few games, he has not been as electric, but today, he was very good.
Almada is defn off…holds on too long, often predictable, passing not on…Cobb looks great given his age and the pressure.
Of course right after I typed this, almada started having himself a day. I’ll gladly eat my words on this one
Hey its okay. Actually, you should do that more… I think the opposite of what you say may or may not come true… Please do it more often.
a straight red?
Oh
2 quick things
Thiare, finally, getting a goal!
Almada with the defensive actions
GG’S ON FIRE, CHICAGO’S DEFENSE IS TERRIFIED
The Lada is running quite well so far today.
That Russian mechanic line really needs to be kept alive. Nicely done.
That’s more like it. Who had the assist?
SABA BABY
Just tuning in. How haven’t we scored yet based on expected goals?
Defying expectations?
Some relatively close misses plus their goalkeeper is doing OK.
It feels like we need to get that first goal for the dam to break. It could end up being a high-scoring match if we are the first to score.
Should be 3 points but so many people just getting back is concerning. Similar to the teams in ccl feels like we may see some tired legs, jet lag.
Open the roof!!!!! And we’ll score a bunch
Roof will be closed. Which is absolutely crazy on such a beautiful day.
It’s just so silly, all that money on a roof that we never open
When it’s open during the day it often leads to bizarre shadows and half lit/half shadow play. Maybe the players complained. It doesn’t look great to me as a spectator.
With all that pollen in the air? No thanks.