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Things were going so well ... and then they weren’t. Two tough losses in a row have Atlanta United’s hopes of the No. 1 seed looking worrisome. The Five Stripes need to get back on track now and while a trip to the worst team in the league may seem like exactly what this team needs, they haven’t done well against the teams they should beat this season.
Ezequiel Barco’s absence has undoubtedly been felt in these last two matches and the bad news is, he’ll remain unavailable for this one due to injury. Other than that, Frank de Boer should have a full compliment of players to pick from.
FC Cincinnati came into the league looking like one of the weaker sides in expansion history and they’ll lived up to those expectations. They’ve amassed just 21 points this season, nine less than any other team in the league. So, to say that the reigning Major League Soccer Cup Champions of the World should be them would be an understatement. We probably said that way back in May when the (insert whatever Cincy’s nickname is) came into The Benz for the second game of the season and walked out with a draw. Hence the struggling against bad teams statement.
The playoffs are approaching and it’s time for Atlanta to figure out who they are. Are they going to be the all-out attacking side that the players want to be? Or are they going to be the more calculated team that De Boer wants? Or will that struggle spell a poor end to an otherwise fruitful season?
Five games to go. Let’s soccer.
Atlanta United’s Lineup:
TBA
FC Cincinnati’s Lineup:
TBA
How to Watch
Venue: Nippert Stadium
Advertised Kickoff Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Available TV: FOX Sports South
Available Streaming: fuboTV (free trial), ESPN+, FOX Sports Go
Available Radio: 92.9 The Game, La Mejor 1600 AM
Pre-match coverage: 6:30 p.m.: AT&T Countdown to Kickoff (FB Live/Periscope)
7:00 p.m.: The Pre-Game show (92-9 The Game)
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