Saturday’s match against D.C. United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be the season finale for both teams. It will also mark the final match in the career of Brad Guzan, the last member of Atlanta’s inaugural 2017 squad. Atlanta is looking to close out the season with a home victory, while D.C. United is trying to avoid finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference, which it currently occupies. Let’s take a look at the Tools to the Match presented by Home Depot against D.C. United.
He’s Big, He’s Bald, He’s…
A chant that has been heard countless times throughout Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be sung one final time this weekend. Guzan made his retirement official earlier this week and will don the 5-Stripes kit one final time on Saturday. He’s looking for his 62nd career clean sheet with Atlanta United, and it would be a fitting way for the club captain to hang up his boots. Atlanta’s defense will need to be alert for the full 90 minutes and not allow any concentration lapses to ensure that special sending off.
D.C. United’s captain Christian Benteke has once again lived up to his reputation as one of the most dangerous aerial threats in the league. Benteke and Guzan were former teammates in the Premier League at Aston Villa, and there is no doubt that the striker would like to spoil the celebrations by scoring one final time against his old friend. On a team that has only managed 29 goals in 33 matches this season, Benteke still has contributed nine goals to lead the attack. Atlanta’s backline cannot give him free looks inside the box in order to try and keep the clean sheet.
If you’ve listened to any of Guzan’s media availabilities over the years, you will have picked up on this key phrase “Goals change games.” Sometimes soccer games can be simplified down to those three words. The first goal in a match often times proves to be the key moment that decides the three points. Atlanta has only secured two victories this year when conceding the first goal. D.C. United is not much better, only earning three wins after conceding the first goal. Atlanta needs to come out Saturday night and land the first scoring punch to keep all three points at home.
Fans can tune in on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV on Saturday night at 6 p.m. ET when the action kicks off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. To hear the action on radio, tune into Sports Radio 92.9 The Game (English) or La Mejor – AM 1600 (Spanish).
