Philadelphia, Atlanta both hoping for postseason surge (Aug 26, 2017)
Two teams coming off shutout losses and in need of late-season surges will collide Saturday, when the Philadelphia Union host the expansion Atlanta United at Talen Energy Center.
Atlanta suffered a 1-0 decision to DC United on Wednesday. It was only the third time Atlanta has been shut out this season, and it was costly. The loss dropped United below the red line and into seventh place on the Eastern Conference table. All three of Atlanta's shutout losses have come on the road.
"Regardless of what happens in other results, we approach every game with the mentality that we want to win," Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We came into this one with the idea that we wanted to win. Now, we go into Saturday with the same mentality of going to Philadelphia and trying to find a way to get a result."
The Union couldn't keep up with first-place Toronto FC in a 3-0 defeat on Wednesday. Philadelphia is winless in its last three, including two losses, and finds itself in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, six points behind the sixth-place Montreal Impact.
"Mentally, the group is still together," Union coach Jim Curtin told reporters. "This group gives everything. We have a really good foundation and a core group of players that will execute and do their job. It has to be all hands on deck to get three points. The guys know the task at hand. It needs to be a real team performance to beat a really strong Atlanta team that needs points as well."
Atlanta, which was once the highest-scoring team in in MLS, has scored just three goals in its last four matches and is searching for answers.
"We are lacking some imagination in the final third and creating some chances with the possession that we had," Atlanta coach Gerardo Martino told reporters after the loss to D.C. United.
Curtin knows that Atlanta's offense is plenty capable, though.
"We have to execute," Curtin said. "We can't make mistakes, because if you make mistakes against these teams with high-powered, quality attacks, they punish you. So we have to really minimize mistakes, and when we get our looks, take our chances."
Saturday's meeting will be the first between the two franchises.
