Atlanta United (6-4-3) will play at Chicago (3-4-5) at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Soldier Field. The game will be broadcast on the MLS channel on AppleTV. You can sync the radio broadcast from 92.9 FM through the app.
You can follow the coverage of Doug Roberson, who has covered the franchise since 2014, on Twitter @DougRobersonAJC.
Here is a scouting report for the game:
Chicago manager: Frank Klopas (interim)
Chicago at home: 2-0-5
Atlanta United on road: 1-3-2
Chicago goals for/against: 15/18
Chicago expected goals for/against: 13.9/16.8
Atlanta United goals for/against: 25/21
Atlanta United expected goals for/against: 19.1/16.0
Chicago key players
Kei Kamara: Four goals
Kacper Przybylko: Three goals, one assist
Rafael Czichos: Two goals
Chris Mueller: Two goals
Atlanta United key players
Thiago Almada: Six goals, seven assists
Giorgos Giakoumakis: Six goals
Luiz Araujo: Three goals, two assists
Brooks Lennon: One goal, six assists
Talking points
1. Who will start at striker? Miguel Berry started Wednesday’s victory at striker and performed well, Pineda said. But the team got better results when Giakoumakis, who is still regaining fitness, came on as a second-half sub. Giakoumakis scored one of the team’s three goals in the second half.
2. Will Atlanta United’s wingers produce? Araujo scored and put four shots on goal in what arguably was his best match as an Atlanta United player. A day later, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Araujo was sold to Flamengo in his native Brazil. Pineda said that Araujo’s move won’t affect his commitment or playing time.
3. Keeping aggressiveness. The team broke a four-game losing streak by playing with an aggressiveness that it has lacked. It will need the same energy to defeat Chicago, which gave it all sorts of problems in their first match this season. Atlanta United won 2-1 because of an own goal in the final minute of stoppage time.
Injury reports
Atlanta United
Out: Amar Sejdic (calf), Erik Lopez (ankle), Brad Guzan (MCL), Ozzie Alonso (ACL recovery) and Caleb Wiley (international duty).
Chicago
Out: Jonathan Dean (left adductor), Carlos Teran (right upper leg) and Chris Mueller (hip).
What was said
“I think it’s very clear, and for the players it is as well. I told them that from now on they are done with me because now every time we drop this standard I will assume they’re not 100%, and I will make changes because I will expect this amount of intensity, urgency, however we want to call it, the full commitment in every play, to make plays to score goals, to save goals. I need that performance from everyone because we as a team, we really notice what happens when we don’t do that amount of effort.” – Pineda
Officiating crew
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
Assistants: Jeremy Kieso, Walt Heatherly
Fourth official: Corey Rockwell
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
AVAR: Claudiu Badea
Atlanta United’s predicted 11
Goalkeeper Quentin Westberg
Centerback Miles Robinson
Centerback JuanJo Purata
Right fullback Brooks Lennon
Left fullback Ronald Hernandez
Defensive midfielder Franco Ibarra
Midfielder Matheus Rossetto
Attacking midfielder Thiago Almada
Right wing Luiz Araujo
Left wing Derrick Etienne Jr.
Striker Giorgos Giakoumakis
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Atlanta United’s 2023 MLS schedule
Feb. 25 Atlanta United 2, San Jose Earthquakes 1
March 4 Atlanta United 1, Toronto FC 1
March 11 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte FC 0
March 18 Atlanta United 5, Portland 1
March 25 Columbus 6, Atlanta United 1
April 1 Atlanta United 1, New York Red Bulls 0
April 8 Atlanta United 1, New York City FC 1
April 15 Atlanta United 2, Toronto FC 2
April 23 Atlanta United 2, Chicago 1
April 29 Nashville SC 3, Atlanta United 1
May 6 Inter Miami CF 2, Atlanta United 1
May 13 Charlotte 3, Atlanta United 1
May 17 Atlanta United 4, Colorado 0
May 20 at Chicago Fire FC, 8:30 p.m.
May 27 at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m.
May 31 vs. New England Revolution, 7 p.m., FS1
June 7 or Sept. 13 at Los Angeles FC, 10:30 p.m.
June 10 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 21 vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
June 24 at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
July 2 vs. Philadelphia Union, 4 p.m., Fox
July 8 at CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 12 at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.
July 15 vs. Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m., FS1
Aug. 20 at Seattle Sounders, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 26 vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2 at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 vs. Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23 vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 7 vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 at FC Cincinnati, TBA
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