It’s an Atlanta United matchday as the five stripes take on Inter Miami CF in the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia. The match is set to kickoff at 7pm Eastern Time, but if you watch enough MLS you know that really means “around 7pm.”
Both of these teams are coming into the game on Wednesday having lost four out of their last five games. Atlanta comes off of their first defeat to Orlando City in the clubs history, while Miami comes off a loss to fellow expansion team Nashville SC. Due to their form Inter Miami find themselves in dead last of not just the Eastern Conference, but the whole MLS. Conjuring up a mere three points in seven games. Atlanta on the other hand, while still struggling to live up to expectations, has nine points in seven games and find themselves in 8th place one spot out of the playoffs. Currently with a game in hand, a win would move them up to a playoff spot in 6th place.
With both teams struggling this game turns into a pretty important one for both sides. Miami will look to get their second win on the season to hopefully go on a run of form that could see them challenging for the playoffs by the end of the season. Atlanta will look to get their second win under interim manager Stephen Glass to move up into the playoffs and hope to go on a good run of form so that they move closer to the top of the Eastern Conference like they’re used to. If they fail to win and continue to slide in performancess, they could find themselves in unchartered territory outside of the playoffs.
Team News:
- Atlanta United:
- Emerson Hyndman is expected to possibly be ready to play
- Fernando Meza is supposedly still out due to injury
- Franco Escobar makes his return after his one game suspension
- Josef Martinez is still out with injury
- Inter Miami CF:
- Blaise Matuidi is still expected to miss this game after signing from Juventus
- Roman Torres is expected to still be unavailable due to injury
Predicted XIs:
Atlanta United struggled particularly in the midfield in their game against Orlando. For that reason, if Emerson Hyndman is match fit, I fully expect him to slide into the midfield. I don’t know how match fit Ezequiel Barco is either. He fits into the same category as Hyndman for me, in if he’s match fit he’ll without a doubt be in the starting XI. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jurgen Damm in the starting XI as well, but with Escobar coming back and Brooks Lennon playing well against Orlando I don’t see it happening. And with the lackluster performances from Adam Jahn as of late, Cubo Torres gets the nod up top at striker.
- Atlanta United (4-3-3):
- Brad Guzan; George Bello, Anton Walkes, Miles Robinson, Franco Escobar; Eric Remedi, Matheus Rossetto, Emerson Hyndman; Brooks Lennon, Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez. Erick “Cubo” Torres
- Inter Miami CF:
- Robles; Ben Sweat, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Andres Reyes, Nicolas Figal, Victor Ulloa, Wil Trapp; Matias Pellegrini, Lewis Morgan. Rodolfo Pizzaro; Julian Carranza