Today is Matchday 19, and New York City FC are in the Dirty South to face Atlanta United on the plastic grass at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Here is your NYCFC vs Atlanta preview and Game Day Hub.
Game Day Essentials
- Matchday 19: NYCFC at Atlanta United
- Date and Time: Wednesday, June 21, 7:30 pm ET
- Kickoff Time: 3:39 pm ET
- Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- Bruce Arena Forecast: Weather is always perfect inside the Benz
- Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
- Apple TV Broadcast Team: Tyler Terens and Devon Kerr
- Listen: English and Spanish broadcasts on NYCFC Radio
- Officiating Crew: Jon Freemon (referee), Ian McKay and Walt Heatherly (assistant referees), Sergii Demianchuk (fourth official), Sorin Stoica (VAR), Jonathan Johnson (assistant VAR)
NYCFC vs Atlanta preview
Atlanta United currently sit in sixth place with 28 points. The team lost only one game at the Benz this season, but NYCFC could be considered the favorites in this matchup: Atlanta will be missing as many as eight players called up to international duty. Playmaker Thiago Almada, striker Giorgos Giakoumaki, midfielder Derrick Etienne, and defender Miles Robinson aren’t available. Basically, their best attackers, midfielders, and defenders won’t be in the lineup.
NYCFC will be missing James Sands and Maxime Chanot, who were called up for their international teams. But it’s fair to say that the burden here isn’t evenly distributed.
Will that loss of Atlanta personnel give NYCFC the edge? Yes, according to our colleagues at Dirty South Soccer: They predict a comfortable NYCFC win. But first NYCFC need to find a way to score.
Oppo Research: 5 things about Atlanta United
NYCFC vs Atlanta United H2H
GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 19 | +3 |
New York City have the slightest of edges in the head-to-head between the two teams. Last season, NYCFC defeated Atlanta at the Benz for the first time in club history. But this past April, New York City were lucky to escape a game against Atlanta at Yankee Stadium with a 1-1 draw — United were the better team that night even after going down to 10 players.
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NYCFC
- Player Availability: Defender Thiago Martins will be out until late August after undergoing knee surgery. Defender Maxime Chanot is on international duty with Luxembourg, and James Sands is with the USMNT.
- Head coach Nick Cushing lined up the defense with James Sands, Justin Haak, and Tony Alfaro in a back-three in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Columbus Crew. Will Tayvon Gray play for Sands? He subbed in as a central defender in that game. Or will Cushing return to a 4-4-2, with Alfaro and Haak as central defenders?
- The question we ask every week: Where will NYCFC find goals? Gabriel Segal stole a goal at the death in Saturday’s 1-1 draw, but New York City need to start producing more than one goal every three games.
NYCFC Starting XI:
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Atlanta United
- Player Availability: NYCFC fans will be pleased to hear that Thiago Almada, Miles Robinson, Luis Abram, and Derrick Etienne are all on international duty and won’t be available. Giorgos Giakoumakis is serving a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. Erik López and Santiago Sosa are out with ankle injuries.
- In addition, Designated Player Luiz Araujo and United suddenly parted ways this week.
- By any estimation this will be the most feeble side Atlanta fielded all season. The roster will likely be filled out with players who usually appear for Atlanta United 2.
- Brad Guzan will be in goal however. The No 1 is back between the sticks after spending most of last season sidelined with an injury.
- Learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of this squad in Oppo Research: 5 things about Atlanta United.
Projected Atlanta United Starting XI:
