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MLS New York City FC

Keys to the Match: Big Changes

July 15, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release


New York City FC take on Atlanta United on Wednesday night.

Kickoff at Mercedez-Benz Stadium is set for 7:30PM ET.

Here are the Keys to the Match, presented by Ford...

Form Guide

Atlanta United have had a challenging season to date.

They currently sit 11th in the Eastern Conference with six wins from 23 games. The Five Stripes aspire to be much higher than that and will be keen to finish the regular season on a strong note with qualification for the playoffs.

Atlanta are winless in their last three MLS games and also suffered a disappointing exit in the U.S. Open Cup against Indy Eleven recently. Their home form has been marginally better, with a win and draw in their last three games at home.

City are eager to keep collecting points on the road and after claiming a draw in their last game they will be keen to go one step further against Atlanta and leave Georgia with a victory.

Big Changes

There have been significant changes for Atlanta since the two sides last met in April.

Head Coach Gonzalo Pineda departed the club in early June and was replaced by Rob Valentino on an interim basis. More recently, Thiago Almada was sold to Brazilian outfit Botafogo and Greek striker Gianis Giakoumakis left for Cruz Azul. Almada's departure saw Valentino revert to a 3-4-3 system in Atlanta's last outing against CF Montréal.

While typically the attack would have run through Almada - a classic number 10 - the creativity is now shared elsewhere. Brooks Lennon, who can play anywhere down the right side, leads Atlanta for assists this season with six followed closely by Georgian winger Saba Lobjanidze on four.

Unsurprisingly, the pair top the charts for Atlanta in terms of key passes - Lennon top with 52, Lobjanidze in third behind Almada on 28. This will put a greater emphasis on City winning the wing battle.

Atlanta are likely to favor overloads down the flanks if they use a 3-4-3 system and it will test City's defensive resolve in wide areas.

Attack, Attack, Attack

One of the themes of New York City's story on the road in 2024 is that good performances have come when the team have attacked from the off.

Blending an intense press with direct transition soccer have been a struggle for opposition sides to deal with, and Nick Cushing has encouraged his side to be the aggressors from the off in previous games.

Cushing was open and honest in his assessment of the Chicago game, stating his belief that his side did not do enough to secure a win on the night. They will be keen to rectify that on Wednesday when they take to the field at the Mercedez-Benz Stadium, and that can start from the first kick.

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