Atlanta United views a road map more like a welcome mat.
After picking up three more points on the road in a 3-0 win at Colorado on Saturday, the Five Stripes' record away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium is 9-3-2. There are eight teams in MLS that haven't won that many games home and away this season.
They tied the MLS post-shootout era for wins, and can tie the record for points set by Seattle in 2011 should they pick up three more at San Jose on Wednesday. The team will have two more road games at the New York Red Bulls on Sept. 30 in what could decide the Supporters’ Shield and at Toronto on Oct. 28.
Atlanta United is two points ahead of the Red Bulls in the race for the Supporters’ Shield.
“It’s good that you pick up points on the road and you have to if you want to win the Supporters’ Shield,” said Julian Gressel, who notched his 11th and 12th assists on Saturday.
Atlanta United won on the road on Saturday with contributions from Darlington Nagbe, who returned after an injury layoff that lasted almost three months, and using a 3-5-2 formation that it had largely not used since his injury on June 24.
“I think our team is tighter this year,” said Miguel Almiron, who scored his 10th and 11th goals in the win. “The players on the bench have done a really nice job as well and that makes us feel more united on the field. We have to keep it up for the rest of the season.”
The conditions on Saturday were difficult. Temperatures in the 90s and a higher altitude made for a dry heat that required hydration breaks during each half.
Atlanta United quickly killed the game, and improved their road record, by scoring three goals in the first half. That margin allowed the team to mostly conserve its energy in the second half. At one point, the team had a passing sequence of at least 20 touches that also milked the life out of the game, a key to success on the road.
Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino said someone told him something about potential road records before the game.
He didn’t seem impressed after Saturday’s win.
“We are going to try to improve that,” he said. “The only thing that matters is getting to the finals and finishing on top.”
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