FC Cincinnati vs. Atlanta United Nippert Stadium – Cincinnati September 18 – 7:30 PM ET Fox SportSouth AJC.com United page here. MLSsoccer.com preview here. ATLUTD.com preview here. FCC preview here. Well. S***. The bad news is that Atlanta is entering the crucial home stretch of the playoff race now reeling off back-to-back 3-1 losses, all but conceding any chance at 1st in the east and, perhaps most importantly, playing with a form that belies their own doubts and gives opponents reason to believe the Stripes are decidedly mortal. And for good measure Barco will miss yet another game with his undisclosed leg knock. Be there any good news? We'll try, and a good place to start is that if there's anyone you want to face when needing a "W" FC Cincy is inarguably that opponent. Cincinnati won't finish with the worst points record in MLS history but it is far and away the worst team in MLS this season and may set the standard for worst goal differential - Their mark of -42 with 4 games to go is already 5 worse than the league record. For a per match average they claim 1 goal per while surrendering 2.3 per. Yeow. No wonder they're on their 3rd coach this season. Their win this past weekend was their 1st in 10 matches. 4 points from a possible 30. Ponder that. On top of that Cincy comes in with a fairly wounded roster. (If that makes any difference.) Fenando Adi was their early big signing but he's proved a waste without the right structure and supporting case. (Think Kenwynne Jones.) But he's out, and MLS stalwarts like Derrick Etienne and Darren Mattocks are also listed as questionable. Oh, and Kendall Waston, the central defender who scored against Atlanta while at Vancouver? He's suspended. At the risk of being cruel, Cincy is hard up enough that expect former Stripes left back Garza to play and be one of their better players. (Sorry, Greg.) To their credit they're still drawing fans, giving the team hope for next year, but those fans have long conceded the season. Cincy has looked toothless in attack and confused in defense. New coach Ron Jans, like true Dutchman, has tried to steer the team back toward the basics since taking over. He's less concerned about wins than he is correcting their positioning, their on-field thinking, etc. You can see slight differences in that the team has kept better form and limited errors like giveaways, but the squad is simply shy on talent. They'll hustle, they'll push forward when they can, but they should not be capable of possession on the order Atlanta saw from the Crew on Saturday. *Knocks on wood* For Atlanta there's good news to be had, as well. For starters LGP is eligible again and to suspect he'll start over Pogba on Wednesday is an understatement. More importantly Roberson and others are reporting that Atlanta has had good practices this week, both in terms of energy and focus. If there is a scintilla left of the team we love and have seen glimpses of this season they should realize there's still a lot at stake: Remember, Atlanta didn't win the conference last season, either! Even during their 2 losses Atlanta had more possession and more overall shots, so they're putting themselves in position to outscore their opponents. The team has simply had to manage fatigue: With Philly it was physical and with Columbus it was mental. But now they know they're in the playoffs and can simply focus on rounding form. So if they look they can see the stage is still set and they have a chance to shine. For me it's simple - As they've done before this season in rediscovering their abilities, they simply need to emphasize on tight defense and getting the ball up field much, much quicker. Nagbe needs to be more vertical with the ball, the defenders need to offer more long leads to keep Cincy's defenders honest, and either Hyndman or, preferably, Villalba needs to better watch Pity and orbit around him. Atlanta should look to score early and often, even to the point of risking an occasional counter. This team's swagger, after all, hinges on its offensive potential. If Atlanta gets 1 they should get 3, so I'll try my luck once more with 3-1. Only this time let's see Atlanta get the 3, please.
I'll be happy with a point. That's all I'm asking. Let's finish this season healthy and do what we have to do in the playoffs.
It sucks that Atlanta United 2 are playing at the same time. Honestly, it would be a good time to throw out Carleton and Bello as subs.
40' 0-0 Atlanta doing much better than Sunday with movement off the ball, both in finding space and pushing upfield. As a result they have several decent shots already. A goal feels inevitable.
I had almost forgotten why I quit going to sports bars in the first place. It's like a combo of an SEC watch party and a tractor pull, but with pricier food and beer.
55' and start of the 2nd half has favored FCC. I'd move early for a sub tonight. Show aggressiveness.
My friends, when you look up the term "breakaway" in the dictionary, that sequence is what you'll see. Just d***.
FT: 0-2 Not a comprehensive victory but much better than Saturday. The team played to their strengths and kept their focus, so the spacing and defensive coverage was there. 3 pts Another shutout Team spirit gets a boost Take it and move on.