Who: Atlanta United vs Philadelphia Union
what: MLS Regular Season Round 9
where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
when: Sunday, April 14th, 2:30pm ET
clock: Fox, FoxDeportes, Apple TV – Free
Whistle: undecided
The Philadelphia Union will face Atlanta United on Sunday afternoon in another Eastern Conference battle. Atlanta United is undefeated at home and will seek its 100th regular season win on Sunday.
The last time these teams met, the Union won 3-2, but Atlanta's two-goal comeback kept the game interesting to the end. The series record for these teams is 5 wins, 5 losses, and 5 draws.
Scouting Report: Atlanta United
The defining moment for Atlanta so far has been their failure to score points on the road. The Five Stripes, who sit 3-2-1 in the Eastern Conference, picked up his first road point last Saturday against New York City FC.
At home, however, Atlanta remained undefeated in 2024, outscoring opponents 9-1 in the process. Mercedes-Benz leads the league in average attendance, giving the Five Stripes a true home field advantage and giving the home team a lot of energy.
To increase their chances of getting the three points, Atlanta's defense and midfield will need to disrupt Union's attack and deny Carranza any chances in front of goal. Furthermore, with key attacking players expected to miss Sunday's game, the responsibility of finding the goals will fall on Thiago Almada, who has had an unusually quiet season so far.
Atlanta will rely on its depth to step up after Derrick Williams and Jamal Teare suffered injuries last weekend. If the Five Stripes can contribute from their depth, they have a chance to maintain their perfect record at home.
Injury report: Jamal Teare (out) Derrick Williams (out) Stian Gregersen (out)
Scouting Report: Philadelphia Union
The Union heads into the game in Atlanta riding high momentum with wins over the Portland Timbers, Minnesota United, and Nashville SC. As the only undefeated team in the league, the Boys in Blue are looking for one more win before entering the bye week.
The return of Andre Blake, Kai Wagner and Michael Uhle from injury will certainly improve Union's chances of a road win. The impressive pace of Carranza, Gusdarg and Sullivan continues to complement the solid defensive effort of Union's back line.
Union's biggest challenge will ultimately be adapting to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and ensuring they don't make mistakes that take advantage of their opponents. Atlanta United is just one of six teams to play on the AstroTurf, and head coach Jim Curtin notes that small details regarding field maintenance give Atlanta United true home-field advantage. Admitted.
In the end, Coach Curtin acknowledged the strength of both teams, saying, “We are also good on the counter-attack and can be difficult to play against defensively, so limiting their key players is definitely our goal.'' It's going to be…we have to be smart,” he added. Brave for sure, but not overly confident as they have really good attacking talent. ”
Injury report: Flach (out) Trent (out) LeFlore (out)
Matchup to watch: Atlanta offense vs. Philadelphia defense
Led by World Cup winner No. 10 Thiago Almada and No. 9 Giorgos Jakoumakis, who is vying for a spot in the Golden Boot, Atlanta boasts one of the league's most deadly multi-pronged attacks (especially at home). After a shaky start to the season, will Glenes and the others be able to play?
Player to watch: Julián Carranza
Atlanta United is tied with FC Cincinnati for the fewest goals conceded in the league (5 goals conceded). Will King Julián be able to get on the scoresheet while in Benz?
Prediction: Atlanta United 0 – 1 Philadelphia Union
The battle would be fierce for the better part of 90 minutes, but eventually the Union forces would pull away.
