Atlanta United vs. LAFC Preview

After three consecutive and dominant victories, including three clean sheets, LAFC is back on the road to face Atlanta United on Saturday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. LAFC has a 1W-2L-1L record against Atlanta, with both losses coming on the road.

After a 3-0 victory over Loudoun United in the round of 16 of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, LAFC will look to make it three straight wins in MLS after beating Vancouver 3-0 and St. Louis 2-0. A double from Denis Bouanga last Wednesday allowed his team to take 5th place in the Western Conference. A victory this weekend could allow them to move into second place just behind Real Salt Lake.

Atlanta United

Atlanta United currently sits in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with 13 points from 13 games played, winning only three times so far in the season. While Atlanta also secured a ticket to the quarter-finals of the US Open Cup by beating Charleston Battery on penalties, Gonzalo Pineda’s men have not won an MLS match in the last eight matches. Their last victory was in March in a 3-0 win over Chicago.

To make matters worse for the Five Stripes, the team will be without striker Giorgos Giakoumakis due to a hamstring injury. Thiago Almada is also doubtful to see any action due to a calf injury he suffered against Cincinnati on May 15. Giakoumakis blew the league out of the water last season with an impressive 17 goals and 3 assists in 21 starts. The Greek international has continued his momentum this season, recording 5 goals and 2 assists in 8 matches played.

LAFC heats up

The Black and Gold appear to be gaining some momentum after that 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes in early May, which was one of the worst performances in a long time. Since then, LAFC has won four straight in all competitions, including two in the US Open Cup. More importantly, the team secured their first away win of the season, which was uncharted territory for the club.

Another thing to notice in the last few games is the improvement in defense. The team has allowed just one goal in its last four games. And even though two of them were facing lower level teams in the cup, they help build momentum and set things straight. The losses of Giorgio Chiellini and Diego Palacios had been keenly felt so far in the season, it was going to take some time for Steve Cherundolo and the rest of the players to adapt.

LAFC winning this game comes down to the basics of winning a football game: being the best in both boxes, on both ends of the field. We have to be deadly in front of goal, we must not waste chances like in previous matches. Especially against an opponent against whom you haven’t managed to score in their stadium. Defensively, it may be a little easier considering their two best players might not play the game. This should allow them to be more composed and perform better. I expect Cherundolo to be more aggressive and take more risks in attack. If there’s ever a time to get your first win in Atlanta, it’s tomorrow.