MLS Matchday 29 Information
- Who: Atlanta United (11-7-8, 41 points) vs FC Cincinnati (16-3-6, 54 points)
- When: Wednesday, August 30, 2023 – 7:30 PM EST
- Where: Mercedez-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA, USA
- How To Watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
2022 Matchups
- April 16, 2022: Atlanta United 0 – FC Cincinnati 0
- August 13, 2022: FC Cincinnati 2 (Vazquez 29′, Brenner 41′) – Atlanta United 2 (Almada 17′, Gutman 83′)
FC Cincinnati have a chance to clinch a playoff berth. In August. That seems to not be that significant for Pat Noonan, when asked about if that means anything, he replied, “No, not really”.
Of course, FC Cincinnati will have to win on a surface they’ve struggled on in the past – artificial turf. FC Cincinnati have yet to earn a win away from grass, as they’re 0-0-3 on the season on the surface. Roman Celentano admitted to the ball plays different on the surface and “it’s something you’re thinking about”, but “it’s not an excuse, it’s not anything to worry about.”
FC Cincinnati have yet to secure a winning result against the 5-stripes in MLS regular season play, as their all time record against Atlanta United sits at 1-5-4. They’re only win came back in 2020 during the MLS is Back tournament in Orlando, Florida.
Key Storylines
Yuya Kubo’s first MLS goal came in Mercedes-Benz stadium back in 2020 in 2-1 loss to Atlanta United. He’s one of two players on that FC Cincinnati matchday roster that are still on the roster today (Brandon Vazquez).
FC Cincinnati have a chance to clinch an MLS playoff berth on Wednesday with a win, and the help of a Chicago Fire or Charlotte FC loss, would be enough for the Orange and Blue to make back to back playoff appearances.
Two Argentine midfielders face off for the first time this season. MLS MVP frontrunner Luciano Acosta, with 12 goals and 10 assists, faces off against 2022 FIFA World Cup Winner Thiago Almada, who has 9 goals and 13 assists on the season. Both have 22 goal contributions heading into the match, looking to help their team score loads of goals and what could be a high scoring affair.
Scary player to look out for – Georgios Giakoumakis. The Greek forward, formerly from Scottish Premier League side Celtic, has the highest Goals per 90 ratio with 0.94. Second is Columbus’ Jacen Russell-Rowe (0.78), third Orlando’s Duncan McGuire (0.76) and Atlanta’s Tyler Wolff (0.76). The only difference? The other three players have 4, 8, and 4 goals on the season, respectively, while Giakoumakis has 12.
Cover Photo: Muz Quadri (IG: @shake.time)
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