Predicting Atlanta United’s starting XI vs. Chattanooga FC

Published

1 month ago

April 20, 2022

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Atlanta United, still the holders of the U.S. Open Cup, begin their journey to defend the trophy tonight when the club welcomes Chattanooga FC to Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw tonight.

Lineup predictions for a game like this is truly a fool’s errand, so, hello, my name is Joe reporting for duty.

Notes:

When you look at the roster, If Pineda doesn’t play with two strikers, then it seems likely to me that one of Thiago Almada, Marcelino Moreno or Luiz Araujo would need to start. It’s hard for me to see Pineda wanting to put Araujo in that situation given his injury situation, and both Moreno and Alamad have been playing a lot and will obviously be needed firing on all cylinders this weekend in league play vs. Miami. So I’m going a little bold here in predicting more of a 4-4-2 shape with both Dom Dwyer and Jackson Conway in the selection.
While Mikey Ambrose is surely in contention to make the team — which could in turn push Wiley up into the LW role he’s excelled in MLS — Ambrose also played 90 minutes on Saturday on the road with Atlanta United 2 which perhaps isn’t ideal. At the left back position — a role that will be doing more attacking than anything else against an overmatched opponent — Caleb Wiley seems to make more sense.
It’s truly an open question who Pineda will select at the back. I tend to think AlexDe John will get a run out, and Alan Franco didn’t feature Saturday with a sore ankle (though he was a full participant in training on Monday).
In midfield, Ibarra may have been held out of Saturday’s match with the foresight that he’d feature in his first start of the season in this match. Next to him, I actually didn’t want to pick Hyndman because I think in general we should be cautious about how heavily he’ll be used during this re-integration period. But he would’ve expended minimal energy in the game against Cincy (he played 10 minutes), while others in contention for this role have played heavy minutes and could use a breather (specifically thinking of Sejdic). Hyndman would obviously be earmarked as a player who would need a sub at either halftime or 60 minutes.
With the wingers, I would not be at all surprised to see them flipped and playing on their “natural” sides (the sides of their stronger feet), particularly if the team is playing with two forwards. Chattanooga will sit deep and try to clog up the middle as best they can, so there may be more room to operate if they play wider as more natural wingers.
I predict this post will look very silly when lineups are released around 6:30 p.m. So join in and be wrong with me. Who is in your XI?

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Salloi and Sporting Kansas City visit the San Jose Earthquakes

Published

37 mins ago

May 21, 2022

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Sporting Kansas City (3-7-3, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (3-5-4, 11th in the Western Conference)

San Jose, California; Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: San Jose -156, Sporting Kansas City +402, Draw +300; over/under is 2.5 goals

BOTTOM LINE: Daniel Salloi leads Sporting Kansas City into a matchup with the San Jose Earthquakes after a two-goal showing against the Colorado Rapids.

The Earthquakes are 3-2-3 against Western Conference opponents. The Earthquakes have a 3-2 record in one-goal games.

Sporting KC is 3-5-1 in conference play. Sporting KC has a 3-2 record in games decided by one goal.

The matchup Sunday is the first meeting this season between the two teams.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jeremy Ebobisse has seven goals and one assist for the Earthquakes. Jamiro Monteiro has scored three goals over the past 10 games.

Salloi has four goals for Sporting KC. Johnny Russell has scored three goals over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Earthquakes: 3-4-3, averaging 1.8 goals, 4.3 shots on goal and 6.0 corner kicks per game while allowing 2.2 goals per game.

Sporting KC: 2-5-3, averaging 1.0 goal, 3.6 shots on goal and 2.2 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.9 goals per game.

NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: Earthquakes: George Asomani (injured).

Sporting KC: Gadi Kinda (injured), Alan Pulido (injured), Daniel Salloi (injured), Nikola Vujnovic (injured), Nicolas Isimat-Mirin (injured), Andreu Fontas (injured), Ozzie Cisneros (injured), Khiry Shelton (injured), Graham Zusi (injured), Johnny Russell (injured).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by

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MLS

CF Montreal hosts Real Salt Lake in non-conference action

Published

2 hours ago

May 21, 2022

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Real Salt Lake (5-3-4, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. CF Montreal (6-4-2, second in the Eastern Conference)

Montreal, Quebec; Sunday, 4 p.m. EDT

LINE: Montreal -142, Real Salt Lake +393, Draw +273; over/under is 2.5 goals

BOTTOM LINE: CF Montreal and Real Salt Lake take the pitch in non-conference play.

Montreal is 3-1-0 at home. Montreal is 4-0-0 when it records a pair of goals.

RSL is 1-3-3 in road games. RSL is fifth in the league drawing 68 corner kicks, averaging 5.7 per game.

The teams meet Sunday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Djordje Mihailovic has scored six goals and added three assists for Montreal. Kei Kamara has three goals and three assists over the past 10 games.

Bobby Wood has two goals and one assist for RSL. Tate Schmitt has two goals over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Montreal: 6-2-2, averaging 2.2 goals, 4.5 shots on goal and 4.5 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.7 goals per game.

RSL: 4-3-3, averaging 1.1 goals, 3.8 shots on goal and 5.4 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.6 goals per game.

NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: Montreal: Mason Toye (injured), Bjorn Johnsen (injured), Tomas Giraldo (injured).

RSL: Zack Farnsworth (injured), Bret Halsey (injured), Erik Lee Holt (injured), Jonathan Menendez (injured), Anderson Julio (injured), Scott Caldwell (injured), Damir Kreilach (injured).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by

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