Atlanta United vs. FC Cincinnati
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Time: 7 pm EST
How to Watch: ESPN+, Bally Sports Southeast, Star64
Atlanta United come into this weekday home match with 5 wins in their last 6. After a vibrant 3-0 victory against southern rivals Orlando City, they're back at it tonight for their third match in their four-game homestand. At manager Gonzalo Pineda's disposal is returning starters Josef Martinez and Miles Robinson, both finally back and rested from international break. The four-headed monster of Martinez, Barco, Araujo, and Moreno will have the opportunity to be seen again, although the question is if all four will be starting as defensive midfielder Santiago Sosa will be out due to yellow card accumulation. Matheus Rossetto played his best game ever in his Atlanta United career Friday, but will Pineda trust him and Moreno dropping back to cover the entirety of the midfield? The lineup and substitutions will have to be made wisely as DC United comes to town on Saturday. Gaining all six points this week is crucial and absolutely necessary. I'm terrible at score predictions but I will say Luiz Araujo has been way too close to the net in his past few starts... I think you'll see his first tonight.
Atlanta United Projected XI (3-4-3):
Barco-Martinez-Araujo
Bello-Rossetto-Moreno-Lennon
Walkes-Franco-Robinson
Guzan
From FC Cincinnati Correspondent Rob Burkhardt (@burkhardt_rob):
Even after finally getting a win at home in beautiful TQL stadium, it would be premature to say that FC Cincinnati have found their form. While they looked better in their 2-0 win, one has to consider the poor form of their opponent. Toronto is a shell of an MLS squad, and the same issues still exist. They struggle to find that last pass, and the linkup between the defense and midfield is still lacking. Atlanta on the other hand has seemed to find a bit of their form. FCC will mostly have their same lineup, even a few days after a match. They’ve shown their exhaustion in other Wednesday matches. A unexpected win tomorrow could be a huge confidence boost for a tired team. Though it’s unlikely. Prediction 2-1 Loss.
FC Cincinnati Projected XI (4-2-3-1):
Brenner
Atanga-Acosta-Barreal
Kubo-Medunjanin
Matarrita-Vallecilla-Cameron-Hagglund
Tyton
Twitter: @bleslie19