First two Atlanta United matches of 2018 announced

Atlanta United will being their 2018 season in 74 short days. It seems like just yesterday that shots were going anywhere except in the net as the Five Stripes lost in a penalty shoot out to the Columbus Crew, but the 2018 season is kicking off in a little over two months. Major League Soccer announced the 2018 home openers today and Atlanta United now knows who they will face in their search to win MLS Cup next year.

The team will open the regular season against the Houston Dynamo on March 3. After a surprising 2017, the Dynamo managed to reach the Western Conference finals, beating Darlington Nagbe’s former team along the way. Of course, in their one meeting against Atlanta United in 2017, the Five Stripes crushed the Houston side with a 4 goal onslaught in a game that also saw the debut of Andrew Carleton.

Atlanta will then come home to host their arch nemesis, D.C. United on March 11. It will be the first United Derby of 2018 and will be a chance for Atlanta to redeem themselves against a team that had their number, and figured out that getting an own goal and taking advantage of a keeper error was the Five Stripes’ weakness, last season.