The Five Stripes are back home and looking for their fourth consecutive win tonight (a sentence I didn’t see myself typing at any point this year) as they welcome neighboring Charlotte FC to the Benz from just up I-85.
Let’s begin with some head-to-head stats, courtesy of stats.scarvesandspikes.com:
What jumps out at you? How about the fact that Atlanta has only beaten Charlotte once in the Benz, a 1-0-3 home record where the lone win came in the two sides’ first ever meeting back in 2022. Since then, The Crown have left Atlanta with wins in each of the past three seasons.
Atlanta United has seen Charlotte twice already this season, the first being a U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match in Matthews, North Carolina, where Atlanta progressed with a 2-0 result. The second was just after the World Cup, a midweek match in Charlotte as Atlanta’s second match back from the break. There, a scrappy battle of two halfves saw the Five Stripes overcome a 2-0 halftime deficit to earn a 2-2 draw in a rollercoaster of a meeting.
Now, it’s Atlanta’s turn to welcome their regional rivals in the return fixture inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Charlotte currently lie fifth in the Eastern Conference, and are in fine attacking form coming out of the Leagues Cup, haviong scored three goals in each of their last three games. Attacking midfielder Pep Biel has featured heavily for his side, and the newly integrated Allan Saint-Maximin, while not registering a goal or assist yet, is still a threat to be watched.
Atlanta’s own recent rise has the team now just three points back from the playoff line after a nine point run in their last three matches. Scorelines of 2-1 over RBNY, Minnesota United, and Sporting KC have the Five Stripes riding a wave into their next match. A duo of new centerback signings in Junior Alonso and Paulo Diaz have provided some stability to the squad in the last few weeks, while players like Tristan Muyumba, Fafa Picault, and Tomas Jacob have made their presences known on the scoresheet.
The Five Stripes’ availability will be a little bit slimmer this time around, as Elias Baez will miss the match due to yellow card accumulation after picking up a caution last match. Luke Brennan and Jay Fortune will be sidelined with injuries, and Mauricio Amaro and Breel Embolo will wait another week to make their Atlanta debuts as they undergo their visa processes.
In the meantime, Atlanta has called up attacker Enzo Dovlo and midfielder Andrew Jardines from Atlanta United 2 to Short-Term Agreements for tonight’s match. Dovlo has contributed five goals and two assists from the right wing this year in MLS Next Pro, while Jardines has one goal and five assists, two coming most recently in the 2s 5-1 win over Orlando City B last week.
Tonight’s match is set for a 7:40 PM ET kickoff tonight in the Benz, with streaming available through Apple TV. If audio is more your vibe, 92.9 The Game has your English language coverage, while La Mejor is your go-to for Spanish radio.
No matter where you are, or how things look on the pitch, feel free to chime in on the match down below in our match thread as the Five Stripes go for four in the Benz.
Atlanta United’s Lineup:
TBA
Charlotte FC’s Lineup:
TBA
How to Watch:
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Kickoff Time: Saturday, August 29th, 7:40 PM ET
Available TV/Streaming: Apple TV
Available Radio: 92.9 The Game, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
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