Atlanta United vs. Philadelphia Union, full-time: Five Stripes win a wild one

Full-time - That’s how it ends. 3-1 to Atlanta United. What a weird night.

85’ - Atlanta finally get some breathing room thanks to some history. Josef Martinez converts another penalty to tie the record for career MLS hat tricks with five.

52’ - Philly respond brilliantly to the goal with one of their own. Fafa Picault beats the offside trap and finishes past Brad Guzan to make it 2-1.

49’ - Atlanta finally take advantage of the numbers game as Miggy finds Josef for an easy tap-in and his second goal of the game.

22’ - I don’t know exactly how to describe what has happened to this match. Atlanta United lead and the Philadelphia Union have nine men left on the field. Atlanta was awarded a penalty when Josef Martinez was fouled in the box. The Union then proceeded to get two men sent off in the resulting arguments with the referee. Josef scored his penalty.

Pre-game: After a quick turnaround from yet another frustrating result in New England, Atlanta United return home looking to finally get back in the win column. While it’s probably far-fetched to call this current run of form a “slump” it’s certainly been the most adversity the Five Stripes have faced through the first half of the season.

Nevertheless, Atlanta still leads the Eastern conference, but will need to return to their winning ways very soon if that will continue on.

The performance in New England wasn’t a bad one by any means. They created chance after chance, but were just unable to find the net more than once. That lack of finishing ultimately cost them. Perhaps coming home to the open-aired ‘Benz will provide some better luck and they can get a win.

It won’t be easy, however. The Philadelphia Union are on a hot streak. No, that’s not a typo. The perennial cellar dwellers of the East have won three of their last four and have crept to just below the red playoff line. They’ve scored nine goals and conceded just two during that stretch of play, too.

Hopefully Tata Martino’s side can overcome their finishing woes and grab an important three points today.

Note: We’re trying something new with our match threads this year. We’ll be updating the post with updates of goals and big moments as they happen. Check back every so often during the match for highlights and commentary.

Atlanta United’s Lineup:

Philadelphia Union’s Lineup:

How to Watch

Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Kickoff Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Available TV: FOX Sports Southeast

Available Streaming: fuboTV (free trial), FOX Sports GO, ESPN+ (Outside of local viewing area)

Available Radio: 92.9 The Game (English), AT&T Countdown to Kickoff (FB Live/Periscope), La Mejor 1600 AM (Spanish)

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