It’s Game Day, and there’s silverware on the line: Tonight New York City FC and Atlas FC will play for the Campeones Cup at Yankee Soccer Stadium.
This tournament pits the MLS champs against the Liga MX title holders against each other, but you wouldn’t know it from how these teams are playing right now. NYCFC and Atlas are suffering almost equally poor runs of form: NYCFC have just one point from their last five league games, with three goals scored and nine allowed, and Atlas also have only one point from five Liga MX games, with four goals scored and 10 goals allowed.
Still, one of these teams will win tonight and get the full confetti gun treatment — and will get a much-needed boost when they return to league play and finish their respective seasons. There’s silverware and prize money on the line tonight, but more than that there’s the good feels and the psychological lift of winning an important game.
Match: NYCFC vs Atlas FC
Date and Time: Wednesday, September 14, 7:30 pm ET
Venue: Yankee Soccer Stadium
Bruce Arena Forecast: Clear, breezy, pleasant, 76˚F/25˚C
Watch: ESPN2, TUDN
Stream: ESPN, TUDN
Listen: English and Spanish broadcasts on NYCFC Radio
• Player Availability: Alfredo Morales (lower body) and Anton Tinnerholm (lower body) are out with injuries. The rest of the Senior Team are expected to be available.
• Interim head coach Nick Cushing will likely play his strongest Starting XI: He needs to win this game. Will he line up the team in the preferred 4-4-2? Or does he have a trick up his sleeve?
• This is the first home game NYCFC have played at Yankee Soccer Stadium since July 23, when they beat Inter Miami 2-0. New York City are 6-2-1 in the Bronx, with 24 goals scored and eight goals allowed.
• While Atlas FC is more tactically flexible, head coach Diego Cocca also desperately needs a win. Read more about the strengths and weaknesses of Atlas in the Hudson River Blue scouting report.
