The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
United turns focus to its MLS home opener
Five Stripes are coming off loss in Champions League.
MONTERREY, MEXICO — Oh yeah, Atlanta United will play its first home game of the MLS season Sunday against Cincinnati. The defending league champions finally play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
After Wednesday night’s 3-0 loss at Monterrey in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, Atlanta United has a difficu l t, but not impossible, riddle to solve if it wants to advance to the semifinals when the teams meet again on Wednesday. Monterrey is arguably the best team in Mexico, and therefore the best team in Central and North America, and possibly the Western Hemisphere.
However, Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer has hope and a bit of history. Atlanta United overturned a 3-1 loss at Herediano in Costa Rica with a 4-0 win at home to advance to the quarterfinals against Monterrey.
“In our stadium, with our fans behind us, on our turf then everything can happen,” he said. “I still believe we can have good result in Atlanta. Maybe it’s not enough. They are a dangerous team. We have to be at our best against a team that is just a very good team.”
But before de Boer can turn his attention to trying to figure out how his team can generate more than one shot on goal, and protect Pity Martinez, he must create a plan for Sunday’s first game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium since last season’s MLS Cup victory over Portland.
“It’s over with now,” Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. “We have to turn our focus to Sunday. That’s part of the challenge of being in this com- petition. We have to have the right mind frame going into Sunday.”
Cincinnati, an expansion team that was beaten at Seattle 4-1 in last week’s debut, combined with a crowd that should surpass 60,000, would seem to be just what the Five Stripes need to boost their confidence.
But it will be interesting to see which players de Boer selects to try to get the valuable three points at home.
De Boer started 10 of the 11 players against Monter- rey who started against D.C. United three days prior in the league opener. He didn’t make any subs until almost the 90th minute on Wednesday. While the team needs more time playing in de Boer’s system to get the kinks worked out before it again faces Monterrey, the players may also need rest and recovery after starting the season having already played four games in two weeks.
It’s possible that injured players Ju l ian Gressel, George Bello and Franco Escobar, each of whom were unavailable against Monterrey, could be healthy enough to select against Cincinnati. There are also several players, Andrew Carleton, Gordon Wild and Kevin Kratz who have made 18s but who have yet to play, and others, Jeff Larento- wicz, Romario Williams, who aren’t playing much.
Pity Martinez called up by Argentina: Atlanta United midfielder Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez was called up to the Argentine national team on Thursday. He is the only MLS player to receive the call from Argentina.
There will be a break for FIFA international play from March 18-26.
Argentina will play Venezuela in Madrid on March 22 and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco on March 26.
Martinez played for the national team in Septem- ber 2018.
Atlanta United hosts the Philadelphia Union on March 17 and returns to league play at Columbus on March 30.
Martinez, the reigning South American player of the year, joined Atlanta United in the offseason and has appeared in all four games this season between the Champions League and MLS.