Atlanta United (5-2-3) will play at Miami (3-6-0) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at DRV PNK Stadium. 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:
Miami manager: Phil Neville
Miami at home: 2-2-0
Atlanta United on road: 1-2-2
Miami goals for/against: 8/10
Miami expected goals for/against: 8.8/12.1
Atlanta United goals for/against: 19/16
Atlanta United expected goals for/against: 13.1/12.0
Miami key players
Leo Campana: Two goals
Franco Negri: One goal, one assist
Atlanta United key players
Thiago Almada: Five goals, six assists
Caleb Wiley: Three goals, two assists
Talking points
1. Who will start at striker? Machop Chol started last week and didn’t take a shot. Miguel Berry, in his starts, also has not been a prolific shooter. Will manager Gonzalo Pineda mix it up and try Luiz Araujo at striker, or go with Chol and Berry to perhaps be less predictable?
2. Will Atlanta United’s wingers produce? This is the same question asked for the past several games because the wingers have yet to contribute to the attack. Miami is decimated by injuries. Now is the time for Araujo and Derrick Etienne to show their value.
3. Playing with energy. The team has looked lethargic for most of the past three games. One game was at home, one was at a neutral site and one was at Nashville on Saturday. The team’s road form hasn’t been as good as expected with just two points won from its past four games.
Injury reports
Atlanta United
Questionable: Quentin Westberg (knee), Luiz Araujo (abductor).
Out: Ozzie Alonso (recovery from torn ACL), Erik Lopez (ankle), Giorgos Gioukamakis (hamstring), Franco Ibarra (concussion protocol), Brad Guzan (MCL).
Miami
Out: Ian Fray (knee), Gregore (Lisfranc) and Jean Mota (knee).
Questionable: Nick Marsman (foot) and Robbie Robinson (calf).
What was said
“That’s a positive, we’ve been starting on the front foot, scoring a lot of goals in the first half, scoring first and, so a lot of positives on that side. But we know that the last few games we haven’t been as we want to be in that part of the field. And we want to improve.” – Pineda
“I think we started very well, we started the season very well. I felt that probably after that international window, and that loss, very painful loss at Columbus (on March 25), we haven’t really played the same, right? It was in conjunction with, or in connection with, Brad’s injury, Giakoumakis’ injury. So a little bit not as consistent as we were in the first part of the season. These things happen. We know that it was early stages. I told you that it’s only a few games in the season.” – Pineda
Officiating crew
Referee: Armando Villareal
Assistants: Jeremy Hanson and Justin Howard
Fourth official: Thomas Snyder
VAR: Alejandro Mariscal
AVAR: Fabio Tovar
Atlanta United’s predicted 11
Goalkeeper Clement Diop
Centerback Miles Robinson
Centerback JuanJo Purata
Right fullback Brooks Lennon
Left fullback Andrew Gutman
Defensive midfielder Santiago Sosa
Midfielder Matheus Rossetto
Attacking midfielder Thiago Almada
Right wing Luiz Araujo
Left wing Derrick Etienne Jr.
Striker Machop Chol
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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 at Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
May 13 vs. Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m.
May 17 vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m.
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, 7:30 p.m., FS1
June 3 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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