The new month is among us, and Atlanta United is hoping to kick it off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday night against Minnesota United. The 5-Stripes are coming off their third clean sheet of the season, a 0-0 tie against Chicago Fire FC last weekend.
Atlanta hopes to pick up some steam on the field and move up the Eastern Conference standings with two home games to begin May. Minnesota has won its past two games and is now ranked fourth in the Western Conference. With a 3-1-0 (W-L-T) road record, the Loons are tied for the league’s most road victories this season. They have played exceptionally well on the road. Let’s examine the Home Depot-sponsored Tools to the Match versus Minnesota United.
Atlanta’s offense hasn’t scored as many goals as it did in the first few games of the season, but the squad still generates good scoring opportunities for goals in every game.
With Brooks Lennon (24) and Thiago Almada (23), Atlanta is the only team with two players who had 20 or more important passes heading into the weekend.
As of this past weekend, the team’s anticipated goals, an advanced metric that assesses the caliber of scoring opportunities the team is producing, are ranked fourth in MLS at 19.53.
The team’s offensive is producing quality opportunities, as evidenced by the figures; however, they now need to turn more of those opportunities into goals.
The next chance comes on Saturday against a formidable Minnesota United team. But the team’s offensive ought to get a lift with Giorgos Giakoumakis back in the starting lineup.
With 1.09 goals per 90 minutes this season, the Greek striker is only second in the league among players with 400 or more minutes played to Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi (1.38). Giakoumakis will probably convert any numerous scoring opportunities he gets on Saturday, helping Atlanta to three additional points.
The Loons have won their last two games, so they enter the game on Saturday in strong shape. Minnesota has already matched for the league lead with three road victories this season, demonstrating their remarkable road performance. They have proven dangerous when they have gone on the offensive.
When it comes to counterattack goals, they are fourth in the MLS. With sixteen, which puts them seventh in the MLS, the squad has also done a fantastic job of producing clear-cut scoring opportunities this season. In contrast, Sportec reports that Atlanta has only given up eight clear-cut opportunities in nine games this season.
Midfielder Robin Lod is one of the players Atlanta needs to be mindful of. With three goals and seven assists, he leads Minnesota. This season, the Finnish winger has been among the best offensive players.
Tani Oluwaseyi leads Minnesota with four goals, but the squad has a number of strong strikers that can capitalize on Lod’s opportunities to create opportunities. Teemu Pukki, a veteran striker, scored 10 goals in just 14 appearances last season, but he only has two goals this year. Pukki is a dangerous player in the box because of his experience in the Premier League among other places.
To win on Saturday, Atlanta’s defense—which has allowed just nine goals all season—must remain focused for the entire ninety minutes.
Atlanta has done a fantastic job of managing the tempo of the games and knowing when to maintain possession and when to attack quickly in its three wins this season. The team has attacked along the flanks the majority of the time. The club has scored more than 60% of their goals through wide play. A significant contributor to their accomplishment are Atlanta’s fullbacks, Brooks Lennon on the right and Caleb Wiley on the left. Their runs create numerical advantages down the flanks when they overlap or underlay one another.
Giakoumakis’s return gives the squad a focal point in attack again, increasing the likelihood that crosses into the box will be converted. The 5-Stripes can take advantage of the openings if Atlanta can apply early pressure to Minnesota and prevent them from setting up in a low block and relying solely on the counterattack. It will be crucial for Atlanta to get three points at home because this is the first of back-to-back games.
