The Columbus Crew head to Atlanta, Georgia for its final match before the All-Star and Leagues Cup break to face a struggling Atlanta United who are winless in their last five matches. The Five Stripes poor start to the 2024 campaign was bad enough to see Gonzalo Pineda excused from his head coaching duties back in June. Now, Atlanta looks to try and stabilize itself before a hectic summer transfer window. The Crew heads to the Peach State looking to wash a bitter taste out of their mouth after a disappointing midweek draw at home against Charlotte. The Crew have a history of getting results on the road in Atlanta and will look to make it their third road win in a row on Saturday. 

Atlanta United at a Glance:

Record: 6-7-11, 25 points

Leading Scorer: Daniel Rios, Saba Lobzhanidze (6)

Assist Leader: Brooks Lennon (5)

Player to Watch: Daniel Rios

With several key departures from the Atlanta attack, the responsibility for attacking play will fall on Rios for Atlanta, at least on Saturday. Rios, who is on loan from Chivas Guadalajara, has spent time in Nashville and Charlotte, making him an experienced MLS attacker. The 29-year-old Mexican is an excellent athlete allowing him to both threaten defenses by running in behind as well as use his lanky frame to hold up play and combine with teammates. Rios is also a good finisher and regularly finds himself in good spots to score. Rios’s skill set is particularly useful against teams like Columbus where there are plentiful transition opportunities. 

How Atlanta United plays: 

It feels like the eyes of the entire league are on Atlanta this summer and for multiple reasons. Atlanta has sold Thiago Almada, Giorgos Giakoumakis, and Caleb Wiley for a combined 41 million dollars. In addition to their deep pockets, Atlanta has once again begun the search for a new head coach after parting ways with Pineda. Rob Valentino is in his second stint as the interim manager in Atlanta and has largely kept the tactics the same as his predecessor thus far. One interesting wrinkle to note is that Valentino opted to use a 3-4-2–1 formation against Montreal last week, instead of Atlanta’s typical 4-3-3. Montreal of course, uses this same 3-4-2-1 formation, as do the Crew. While this won’t change Atlanta’s tactics too much, it is probable that the Crew will see Atlanta make a similar switch on Saturday. 

Similarly to Columbus, Atlanta is a team that prefers to have possession of the ball and create attacks with passes and attacking movement. Regardless of their formation, Atlanta looks to create overloads in central areas and have players in wide areas running at the backline with speed. In the past against Columbus, Atlanta has shown a willingness to play more direct balls into their front line as well. 

Defensively, Atlanta defends in a mid-block, about ¾ up the field, no matter the formation. Typically, Atlanta looks to force the ball into wide areas before shifting the defense over to try and trap the ball close to the sideline. If Atlanta does play a 3-4-2-1 their defenders will have an almost man-to-man orientation on Saturday. This means that these players will be willing to follow and track the Crew’s attack even when they occupy unique positions. 

How the Crew can win:

The Crew are looking to get back to winning ways after a frustrating midweek draw. The Crew have had success in Atlanta in the past and will be looking to replicate that to stay in the Supporters Shield race. Here are the keys for the Black & Gold. 

1. Dominate Possession: Atlanta is not an outstanding defensive team and they are often able to cover this by keeping possession for the majority of the game. The Crew should give them no such chance on Saturday. The more the Crew can make an Atlanta side that doesn’t really want to defend be forced to do so, the better. Look for this to take on an extra effect as the game wears on. 
2. Finish Chances: The Crew created more than enough chances to win on Wednesday but failed to be as clinical as they had been in recent weeks in front of goal. It’s better to nip that in the bud sooner than later, as they’ll likely be able to create similar opportunities in this match. 
3. Win 1v1 Battles: If Atlanta does play out of a 3-4-2-1 formation, the Crew will essentially be 1v1 all over the field. Thus, winning those 1v1 matchups will decide the game. This is especially applicable to the attackers as one nice move or quick turn can slice through the Atlanta defense quickly.