Following a back-to-back homestand at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta United will return to the road to take on Chicago Fire FC. The squad is hoping to recover from their five-point loss to FC Cincinnati and the Philadelphia Union, two of the teams leading the MLS Eastern Conference.
With high expectations going into the match on Saturday, Atlanta United is hungry for three points and wants to boost their confidence when playing on the road.
Even though the 2024 season is still early, Atlanta United has seen a good number of injuries. After a successful meniscus surgery in late March, Stian Gregersen, a defender for Norway, has been working out with the team this week. Gonzalo Pineda, the head coach, stated during Thursday’s media availability that Gregersen “will have some involvement” in Saturday’s game.
The return of Gregersen is encouraging for the 5-Stripes defense. Because of his strong defensive presence, he was acquired during the summer. When Noah Cobb, a local, took over for Gregersen, he performed admirably.
After missing two games due to injury, Giakoumakis made his FC Cincinnati debut in the 60th minute of the game. He is expected to play in the game. Xande Silva is sidelined for the game.
The way Atlanta United reacts to opponents pushing the attack after the draw against Philadelphia and the loss versus Cincinnati will be a major talking point moving forward.
The 5-Stripes gave up leads in both of their Eastern Conference games. Pineda and a few of the players have discussed the changes being made to consolidate in-match scenarios before to the trip to Chicago.
Even if the team wasn’t happy with the outcomes of the previous two games, everyone is in agreement on taking stock of the situation and making the necessary adjustments to secure the next victory.
According to Giakoumakis, the emphasis right now is on beating Chicago by three points and taking each game as it comes.
Despite the injuries and the trip he had to make for the FIFA international call-up, Giakoumakis has had a great start to 2024. This season, he has already been named to the MLS Team of the Matchday twice. This weekend, he intends to maintain his dominance.
Atlanta’s preseason objective was to win as many games on the road as they could. The 5-Stripes are aware that winning on the road is crucial if they hope to place among the top four teams in the Eastern Conference.
Their most recent road game saw them come back from behind to tie New York City FC for a point.
Chicago and Atlanta faced off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on March 31st of this season. Thanks to a brace from Jamal Thiaré, Atlanta defeated their opponent 3-0 and recorded their second straight clean sheet.
Even if the Chicago Fire are going through some difficulties of their own and may be losing players because of injuries, Atlanta’s coaching staff is aware that they still have a difficult game ahead of them.
