MLS – Week 21
Who: (2nd) Atlanta United (11-8-3) at (1st) LAFC (14-3-4)
When: July 26th, 2019 at 10:00 PM ET
Where: Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles
MATCHUP:
For Atlanta, the team is coming off a must win game against a Rooney-less DC United. A win where it placed Atlanta into 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. Pity, Pity, Pity! Cometh the man, cometh the hour! He came off the bench and when we all thought the match would end nil-nil… In the 89th minute where he took the header beautifully into the goal, and in stoppage time dropped a peach of a ball into the path of Josef who in front of goal is as good as they come took it and finished it off. The goal was much needed after his missed penalty attempt went wayward.
In the cases of LAFC they would want to bounce back after watching their city rivals and mainly Zlatan take them down in El Trafico. In a game where Vela opened the match with a goal in the opening minutes followed by a Zlatan hattrick, and Vela would score again in stoppage time.
HISTORY:
All-Time Series: 1-0-0 (regular season)
At Atlanta: 1-0-0
In 2018 These two clubs met at Mercedes-Benz and was one sided affair as Atlanta United took LAFC apart. Where Atlanta United won 5-nil. On that day the goals came from Gressel, J. Martinez, a brace from Almiron, and Romario Williams.
This is the first all-time meeting at Banc of California between Atlanta United and LAFC.
OPINION:
Atlanta United have to play a team mirroring a style like the one from last year who have an idea and style they believe in. In every match you’ll say and agree that the team needs to be focused, but against a team like LAFC is where it HAS to be a must and first thing to take care of would be Carlos Vela. He leads the league in goals at 21 and the team has some depth.
“He’s a great player and he’s showing it right now,” said Atlanta United defender Franco Escobar through a translator. “He’s a national team-quality player, and he’s very dangerous. On set pieces he’s good, and in open play if you give him any space he’s going to be able to hurt you and pick it out and put it in the corner. So we have to be very cautious of him.”
LAFC has their own problem to contain and that must be Josef Martinez…
“He’s so sharp and alert in the box to finding chances, movements, pouncing on any opportunity,” Bradley said of Atlanta’s marquee attacker. “He’s got real qualities inside the box.”
I will always believe and trust Atlanta to come through and win damn near every match and expect that in this match… I want a win so I would predict 2-1 Atlanta but expect a draw.
TEAM NEWS:
Atlanta United:
Injury Report:
- OUT: George Bello (D) – right adductor injury
- OUT: Hector Villalba (M) – knee injury
- OUT: Kevin Kratz (M) – quad injury
- OUT: Brek Shea (D) – knee injury
- QUESTIONABLE: Florentin Pogba (D) – left thigh injury
- QUESTIONABLE: Mikey Ambronse (D) – left thigh spasms
- QUESTIONABLE: Ezequiel Barco (M) – right knee injury
LAFC:
Injury Report:
- OUT: Javier Perez (M) – left ACL tear
- OUT: Triston Blackmon (D) – right quad strain
- OUT: Mohamed El-Munir (D) – Zygomatic Arch fracture
- QUESTIONABLE: Danilo Silva (D) – left hamstring strain
- QUESTIONABLE: Alejandro Guido (M) – right quad strain
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