Atlanta United at Bank of America Stadium. It’s a rivalry match that Charlotte FC fans will have circled on their calendar at the beginning of the season.
After over 2,000 fans traveled down to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to witness a 3-2 CLTFC win, the Club will be looking to complete the season sweep on their southern rivals. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Match: Charlotte FC vs Atlanta United
When: Saturday, August 31
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV – How to Watch & Listen
Listen: WFNZ 92.7 FM (English) & WOLS 106.1 FM (Spanish)
For all other radio station affiliates in the Carolinas, click here.
Previous Matches:
Charlotte FC 1 – 1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer | August 24)
LA Galaxy 2 – 0 Atlanta United (Major League Soccer | August 24)
Eastern Conference Table: For the full live table, click here.
1. Inter Miami CF – 56 points, 26 GP
2. FC Cincinnati – 48 points, 26 GP
3. Columbus Crew – 43 points, 23 GP
4. New York Red Bulls – 42 points, 26 GP
5. New York City FC – 39 points, 26 GP
6. Charlotte FC – 38 points, 26 GP
7. Orlando City SC – 34 points, 26 GP
8. Toronto FC – 33 points, 27 GP
9. Atlanta United – 28 points, 26 GP
---------- Playoff Line ----------
Spanish Impact
After a busy summer transfer window, the Charlotte FC front office has put their trust in a new attacking midfielder to link the attack together: Pep Biel.
While the defense has carried the team to a solid sixth place in the Eastern Conference, the attack will need to improve down the stretch to catch NYCFC and the Red Bulls for fourth place. Enter Biel, the Spaniard who has proven his creative ability during a red-hot vein of form while with FC Copenhagen.
After debuting for 29 minutes off the bench last Saturday, Biel will need to hit the ground running very quickly with only eight matches remaining. Head Coach Dean Smith is confident he can do just that.
“I’d be comfortable [starting Biel],” Smith said in his pre-match press conference. “In the 30 minutes [against the Red Bulls], he showed me he was comfortable… he’s shown me in training so far that he’s been really good, too.”
After seeing flashes of his ability on Saturday, fans can expect more as Smith is high on the qualities he brings to the attack.
“He’s a player who's going to find pockets of space, who can turn very quickly, and play forward quickly, as well,” Smith said. “He’s going to get into positions higher up the pitch for us where we want him to be… he's just very clever at finding the ball in terms of what you want to see offensively and open play.”
Ultimately, CLTFC’s success down the stretch will come down to the ceiling of the attack. Biel will be pivotal in elevating the performances of the entire front three, and the team will need him to start delivering on that potential as soon as possible with the playoffs just around the corner.
Related:
The Opponent
Atlanta United looked very different the last time Charlotte FC saw them (in a 3-2 away win with over 2,000 CLTFC faithful making the trip and making noise in the top corner of Mercedes-Benz Stadium).
The major departures since that match from under two months ago:
- Head Coach Gonzalo Pineda
- Attacking Midfielder and #10 Thiago Almada
- Striker Giorgos Giakoumakis
Almada scored the match’s opening goal the last time around and had been the centerpiece of the team, but he sealed a deserved move to Europe. Giakoumakis was widely considered one of the best strikers in the league, but he has since departed to Cruz Azul of Liga MX. Pineda was fired following that loss to CLTFC, after nearly three years in charge.
Now under Interim Head Coach Rob Valentino’s leadership, Atlanta looks very different. Dean Smith does expect some similarities from that June 2 match, though.
“I thought they gave us problems in the first 30 minutes at their place, to be honest, especially on transitions and breakdowns,” he said. “They break really quickly. We got caught out a couple of times against the Red Bulls with that [quick transitions], as well. So, that's something that we'll have to be concerned about.”
The main player to watch for the opponent will be Alexey Miranchuk. The Russian attacking midfielder will be filling big, Almada-sized shoes, but he arrives with a great pedigree from Italian club Atalanta (not a typo!).
Last time out, Atlanta lost to the LA Galaxy 2-0 in a difficult road match. As they sit on the playoff bubble in the ninth and final playoff position, the team will be under pressure to pull out a key result on Saturday.
Related:
The Season So Far
So far, CLTFC has made their third season their best season. Head Coach Dean Smith has the team in 6th place in the Eastern Conference through 25 of 34 regular season matches and chasing down the top four spots (which come with a first-round home field advantage).
Most recently in league play, the team went on an impressive run on the road. They took down Supporter’s Shield contenders FC Cincinnati 3-1, drew defending champions Columbus Crew 1-1, and then drew Austin FC 2-2, all in the space of eight days.
After a brief Leagues Cup run in which the team beat Cruz Azul in a penalty shootout at home but ultimately were eliminated in the group stage, the team will now enter the stretch run of the season reenergized by the extended break and ready to push for the playoffs.
A relatively disappointing 1-1 draw with the Red Bulls opened this stretch run, so Smith and his players will be looking to bounce back with a key win at home over their closest rivals.
THE RIVALRY RETURNS | CLT vs ATL
Atlanta United comes to The Fortress on August 31 at 7:30 p.m. Be here as the rivalry returns to the Queen City.
