Atlanta United returns to action Saturday night against Eastern Conference opponent Columbus Crew SC for the second and final meeting between the two clubs this season. In the first match, Atlanta defeated Crew SC 3-1 at Bobby Dodd Stadium on June 17. Atlanta is in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 24 points, one behind fifth place Columbus, and leads MLS with 33 goals scored. The match is scheduled to kick-off at 7:30 p.m. EST from MAPFRE Stadium and will be televised on FOX Sports Southeast.
Atlanta is coming off a 1-0 win over Colorado Rapids in front of a seventh-straight sold out crowd at Bobby Dodd Stadium on June 24. Josef Martinez netted the lone goal after he received a pass from Brandon Vazquez on the right wing and calmly avoided two defenders in the box to place a shot past goalkeeper Tim Howard in the 67th minute. It was Martinez’s seventh goal in seven matches this season, second most on the team behind Miguel Almirón’s eight. Colorado nearly equalized in stoppage time after the Rapids earned a corner kick in the 90+6 minute. Bismark Boateng headed a shot directly at goalkeeper Alec Kann, who deflected the ball down and collected it for the final whistle.
Columbus’ last time out ended in a 4-1 win over Montreal Impact in MAPFRE Stadium on June 24. Federico Higuaín opened the scoring with a goal from a free kick in the 16th minute, but he then committed a turnover soon after which led to an Anthony Jackson-Hamel goal in the 19th minute. However, the second half belonged to Crew SC as the home side put three in the net from Kekuta Manneh, Ola Kamara and a second from Higuaín.
MATCH INFORMATION
Saturday, July 1 | MAPFRE Stadium, Columbus, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Atlanta United (7-7-3, 24 points) vs. Columbus Crew SC (8-9-1, 25 points)
TV: FOX Sports Southeast
Talent: Alan Green (play-by-play), Dan Gargan (analyst) and Brittany Arnold (sideline reporter)
English Radio: 92.9 The Game
Talent: Adam Schick (play-by-play) and Jason Longshore (commentator)
Spanish Radio: La Mejor 1600 AM
Talent: Armando Carillo (play-by-play) and Daniel Cantu (commentator)