The Five Stripes are back on the road for only the third time this season as they travel to Chester tonight to face the fifth place in the East Philadelphia Union. Atlanta heads north in hopes of finding some solid ground after a 1-0 loss at home to New England last weekend that took the wind out of many sails and dropped the team to 11th in the conference table.
Four points from three home matches is not what most had in mind going into Atlanta United’s most recent home stretch, and they’ve now totalled eight points in their first nine matches, the worst start in team history. It’d be hilarious if not sad. As the team struggles to find itself amidst its millions of dollars worth of talent, the schedule grows only more difficult. The upcoming trips to Philadelphia and Orlando will be challenging regardless of team cohesion. Can Atlanta get themsevles out of their own way and establish an idenitity here tonight?
Unlike Atlanta, the Philadelphia Union’s season got off to a strong start with wins in four of their first five matches. Since then, the Union’s form has faded somewhat, winless in their last three with only one goal scored in that span. A win tonight would be a huge boost for the Five Stripes against a conference foe, but those have been hard to come by in series history. Atlanta have won only once in Chester, going all the way back to 2018. Last year’s meetings between the two both ended in draws, a Saba Lobjanidze header gave Atlanta a point in a 1-1 tie at Subaru Park back in September.
Atlanta United fans have been watching and waiting all season for a cohesive 90 minute performance. A healthy team save for Derrick Willams will travel to Philly this evening to step up to the plate once more. What will be different for Ronny Deila’s side? What won’t? Atlanta can ill afford many more results like last weekend’s. Apathy is starting to creep its way in to a fanbase full of expectation and energy just a couple months before. Could tonight be where things change?
Kickoff from Subaru Park is scheduled for a 7:40 PM ET start, with streaming cprovided on Apple TV with a subscription to MLS Season Pass. Radio coverage will be available in English on 92.9 The Game and in Spanish on La Mejor.
For more matchday information, be sure to check out our match preview and predictions, then hop into the match thread below and follow along as Atlanta seeks a turning point in Philadelphia.
Atlanta United’s Lineup:
Philadelphia Union’s Lineup:
How to Watch:
Venue: Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania
Kickoff Time: Saturday, April 19th; 7:40 PM ET
Available TV/Streaming: Apple TV (with MLS Season Pass Subscription)
Available Radio: 92.9 The Game, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
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.
| Get Atlanta United training ground updates, audio and video content you won’t see anywhere else, Discord access, and more. Support us on Patreon and help support independent soccer coverage here in Atlanta! Click here to start a 7-day free trial. |
I’ve never been so happy to not be a season ticket holder.
I started to regret letting them go during renewal time, but I feel better know.
The only good thing about this crap season is that if I did want to endure a home match, I can land some CHEAP tickets!!!!
I did not like watching that.
Zero chemistry.
Slow.
No identity.
If we hit rock bottom maybe they will get out of their heads and just play?
Wooden spoon contender
I don’t think I’ve *ever* seen United look so pathetic. At least we were defensively organized under DeBoer. You can’t sustain man-marking all match, but at least there was a semblance of an identity under Heinze. But what the effing heck was THAT?
We’re nowhere near being a playoff-caliber team in a league where practically 2/3 of the teams make the playoffs!!! We’d be in a relegation scrap in a proper league anywhere else in the world (and thank god we’re just in MLS).
And Miranchuk’s the most useless high-priced player I’ve seen since sideways-passer extraordinaire Rossetto. I haven’t given up on Miggy or ELL, who’s trying his best despite getting no help, but this team is tactically inept and has no identity, unless being aimless in the attacking third is actually our identity.
Poorly constructed roster. Poor coaching. Sloppy play. Weak at a number of positions. Insisting on running the offense through a 10 that is not an MLS 10. Falling asleep on defense. Game plan that disintegrates at the slightest press. I have no confidence that this roster or coach or GM are the answer. Right now a mid-table finish looks like a pipe dream. Unbelievable.
This is Garth’s team. He let go a great coach.
Garth should go.
But Garth said , “we are back, BABY!” After signing a very expensive, slow player with inflated stats. .
I don’t typically post but this feels like a new low even for ATL. All the talent, money, huge fanbase etc and they can’t even muster a single goal playing a man up, nor can they stop the other team from scoring while they’re playing a man down.
I used to think ‘something’ was broken and once fixed, we would start cooking. Nope… everything is broken. This is a last place team that doesn’t deserve its fan base.
You are correct – this is a ‘new’ low. If the club cares at all existing in the future, they better do something drastic!
Everything is always broken. Multiple coaches, players, etc. and we can never seem to put it together. Every year same story. Big signings, high hopes, and disappointment. I watched 20 minutes and turned it off. Thank god the Braves are in season.
Watching this team is torture, and I have to pay for it on Apple TV. It’s such a shame because the fan base is so good, but I don’t blame anyone for no longer caring. Just a massive lost opportunity for this city.
Leave the whole team in Philadelphia and sim the rest of the season
Tonight was absolute rubbish….
Playing a man up, can’t score and can’t defend against the other team scoring. I’d like to say this is a new low but I feel like we’ve been here before.
This was a dogshit performance.
We are terrible
Bejeeezus…..that is ridiculous
We are the eh?…
Since we’ve been a man up, I’ve watched us botch 2 simple passes to the outside unpressured, and then Klich make a perfectly fine pass to Miggy who dummied it to… uh… a Philly defender? I’ve had to turn the game off. I’ve seen nothing today that makes me feel like the last 15 minutes are even worth the electricity used to power my TV.
We are absolutely backsliding
I like watching real time car wrecks – Philly could have two more guys get reds and we still would f it up
I turned it off after the 2nd goal.
#DeilaOut. I’ve seen more than enough of his inability to get anything out of this squad
This is pretty pathetic.
Up a man and we still look as lost in the final third
It is like autumn out there – pretty red and yellows
Fuck Garth and Deila.
We still can’t play under pressure. We are sloppy and unorganized in general.
Guzan doing his job, though he got hung out to dry on both goals. Otherwise, it’s ten chickens with their heads cut off running around.
What was Brooks thinking there???
No one was near brooks to help out , got dispossessed , and somehow no one was back to play defense
Not to worry. Just need more time to gel.
So painful.
We seem to have zero chemistry. I was alarmed when Latte Lath went down on the 6 and no Atlanta player went to help him up.
Our first half, despite the numbers, was abysmal. We looked either scared or confused.
Played almost the whole half facing the wrong way.
Sky is not falling regardless of what some are saying…this season reminds me of 2017…we had lots of talent but just couldn’t pull it together for any length of time. Made a lot of stupid mistakes (ummmm…LGP?)…
We just need to settle down and stop getting in our own heads…
There’s no way this is a real take. We look absolutely atrocious and this is absolutely a club in freefall at less than a 3rd of the way into the season. Not a single aspect of the team clicks.
I don’t think its a freefall yet….I hear you tho – we have been absolute crap for 5 years so I do understand your point. I just think we have more talent than we’ve had in years and 2017 was very similar…difference is we were brand new back then and the expectations were low.
We are playing like shit tonight tho!!
It IS hard to watch tonight…VERY amateurish
This Atlanta United is incredible at beating Atlanta United… we’re damn near undefeated in that stat. Sadly, I don’t think it’s going to change without some drastic changes. Just sickening to watch.
We’ve actually had more possession, but it’s not the least bit threatening. What is our tactical identity?
Maybe we can sign Carlo Ancelotti once he gets sacked for Madrid’s dumbass decision to sign Mbappe instead of a replacement for Kroos.
It’s so frustrating and depressing that we look like we can’t connect more than like… 1 pass. Or less. And half the time, the target is maybe 10 yards away and not even moving. These are professional players. Deila saying our players need to be less nice and yet all I can think is the players maybe should spend more focus on figuring out the dang basics of soccer rather than their attitude.
Either Deila isnt up for the job or we have put together an extremely incompatible group of players. Theres so much frustration that you can see among our guys. It’s far beyond what other teams exhibit.
Result aside, I do agree with your earlier sentiment that we are at least trying something different. Though I’m still questioning Fortune at left center defensive wing.
I’m thinking it’s the later, though I am starting to question Delia. To me, it appears there is a very strong argument that our team make-up is just bad chemistry across the board.
We need to play quicker than we are out of the back….they are pressing us hard, leaving players up field…each time we play a quick transition, we have some success getting onto the final 3rd. Let’s see what Deila does for adjustments at the half…he seems like he is tactically aware….I do think it may be Saba time tho!
The last possession before the halftime whistle about sums it up. Get the ball and instead of making a line splitting pass, turn back and make a crappy pass that gets disrupted/intercepted. This is painful to watch.
Lucky not to be down by more
Miggy has kicked a few field goals this game
Remember when Tata told him to be more selfish and go for goals back in 2018???
It’s time for that…he laid a pass off that he probably should have shot…
Not critical cuz I love Miggy, but he needs to stop being SOoooo nice and take it on his shoulders…
Falcons are looking for a kicker aren’t they?
Klich’s DP contract with DC United has to be a top 3 worst contract in MLS.
I was just thinking the same thing
Agreed. I haven’t seen one thing from him all season (including preseason) that I thought to myself “wow, what a great pickup.”
I feel like these next two games could make or break our season.
If not, then definitely when we have that looming 6 game road trip starting at the end of May and ending in July certainly will be a definite make (or) break point for our season.
Dang – two injuries down at the 31 min. Not a good sign.
Philly has ATL UTD looking real silly right now on the first goal and near 2nd.
Yup – this game is going exactly like I thought it would in the first 30 mins (already down 1 because we can’t build out of the back and handle pressure).
We are sucking in all 3 areas of the field (defense, mid, and attack) and will be lucky to get to the half to regroup before conceding a goal again.
We need a serious adjustment.
Good Lord we are messy rn
Its the uniform… its got to be it!
Can we call a timeout ?
cLeAr tHe BaLl…..
That was ugly
BEAT THE PHILLY BIMBOS!!!!!!!!!
Lots of bad passing
Good Lord. We’ve had so many giveaways already
We are absolutely dreadful at breaking the press. We’re so l also absolutely dreadful at looking up an playing through balls. Did I also mention we take far too long picking our passes in general?
We look rather disjointed
We can’t handle their pressure
You talking tonight, every, single match this season, or almost every single match since 2019?
Nice play by Greg there, saves us
I’ll give Deila credit for making some kind of adjustment, I just don’t know that I agree with what it is. But hey, I asked for something different and I can’t complain that I got it.
I’m a little bummed that Saba is riding the pine, but he has had a couple of challenging matches lately where he has seemed a bit off. Maybe just needs a break and can be a super sub today (which, if I was a defender against him, would hate…
I hope Delia proves me wrong with this lineup.
Why does he absolutely refuse to not start Miggy at the 10!?!?? Just look at his stats vs when he plays outside!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m pissed.
Just sayin.
They brought him back to be a winger. The FO really likes what they see with Alexei at 10. He needs to learn to play his position. I don’t recall him having such lack of discipline with Newcastle
“ The FO really likes what they see with Alexei at 10.”
Assuming that’s the case, I don’t think it’s a good sign.
Read the Deila interview talking about how Miggy has to learn to stay out wide and play his position. Seems pretty clear to me that we’re ride or die with Alexei at 10 and Miggy out wide
… repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Not gonna happen. This is the most disjointed AU team I’ve ever seen.
Just saw the starting 11 on the app.
What?
Seems obvious that the graphic posted isn’t actually how we will line up. Anyone have any thoughts to how we might see the midfield/forwards line up?
Also. Cobb. Finally.
I think it’s a 4-2-3-1, but I have no idea why Fortune is shown in the left wing…
Who else would be there? Seems like it needs to be a formation change to more of a 4-3-3
433 is exactly what I thought.
Or Maybe a 442 diamond with Almiron obviously at the tip, and Muyumba at the base. Slisz and fortune playing dual 8s?
No Saba, that part makes sense honestly. But miranchuck up top is the curious one for me. Excited to see how it plays out.