Predicting Atlanta United’s lineup at Sporting Kansas City on Sunday night

Atlanta United kick off a torrid stretch of matches on Sunday night against a banged-up Sporting Kansas City: it will be the first of 8 between now and the FIFA break that starts on June 3. It’s not so much that as it is the fact that they’ll be hosting Orlando City on the 12th, will then fly to Vancouver for a midweek match on the 15th, fly to New Jersey to face the Red Bulls on the 19th, only to head back across the country to take on Real Salt Lake in altitude on the 24th before returning home to host Minnesota United on the 29th.

But the immediate focus is getting another three points inside what should be a nice and rowdy Blue Hell and with a national TV audience watching on FS1. Here’s how I think they’ll line up:

tl;dr: It will probably be the same lineup as last Saturday against the Rapids - hopefully there’s more goals to be scored in this one. Remedi, I think, comes on around the 60th minute once more before he gets turned loose next week against Orlando City. Frank de Boer has mentioned being committed to Pity Martinez as the 10 and I think he remains there for the time being, but I’d like to see him get out in wider areas and allow Barco to tuck in behind Josef Martinez.

As for Tito Villalba, the team played much better after he came on for Pity Martinez, but I’m just not sure that his place is fully secure in this lineup. De Boer’s ideal scenario calls for him to be brought in late in matches, but I’d like to see Villalba starting on the right wing and Julian Gressel at right wingback - with Franco Escobar spelling Gressel late.

Thoughts? Let me know in the comments.