Match Preview: Atlanta United vs. Atlas FC
The most meaningless match…
Date: Wednesday, August 6th, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM EDT
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Head Coaches: Kenny Miller (ATL), Gonzalo Pineda (Atlas)
Competition: Leagues Cup Group Stage
Broadcast: Apple TV (with MLS Season Pass Subscription), UniMas, TUDN
Radio: 92.9 The Game, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
Atlanta United returns to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to conclude what has been a lackluster 2025 Leagues Cup run. After falling short against both Necaxa and Pumas UNAM over the past two weeks, the Five Stripes have been eliminated from knockout stage contention.
With only pride on the line, both teams are expected to field younger, less experienced lineups to avoid injuring starting players. Atlanta will also be without head coach Ronny Deila, who will miss the match after receiving a red card during the loss to Pumas UNAM.
Assistant coach Kenny Miller will be the replacement manager for the day. With a great deal of homegrown contracts being signed recently, expect to see new faces such as midfielder Cooper Sanchez and right back Nyk Sessock. Other recent Atlanta signings, Steven Alzate and Juan Berrocal, have “logistics to work out before making their first appearances.”
Atlas FC has endured a similarly disappointing Leagues Cup campaign, suffering defeats to both Inter Miami and Orlando City. The club is currently managed by former Atlanta United head coach Gonzalo Pineda, who now leads the Guadalajara-based side, currently sitting 9th in the Liga MX standings.
Today marks Pineda’s first return to face his former club, and the first-ever meeting between Atlas FC and Atlanta United. A win today would mark Atlanta’s first ever victory in this competition.
Injury Report
Atlanta United FC
OUT- Pedro Amador (Hamstring), Matt Edwards (Hamstring), Jay Fortune (Foot)
Atlas FC
OUT- Édgar Zaldívar (Cruciate Ligament), Mauro Manotas (Cruciate Ligament)
Lineup Prediction
Play the kids. There will have to be some veterans to fill in gaps in the lineup, such as Muyumba and Derrick Williams, but in this meaningless game, you need to play the future of the club. Afonso should get his debut and Brennan should move to his more natural right side. Recent Homegrown signing Cooper Sanchez can play the 10 behind 3rd string forward Cayman Togashi. Will Reilly will continue to get minutes, and Dominik Chong-Qui will line up next to Sal Mazzaferro (short-term agreement signing, was not on FotMob). Sessock fills in after signing a new deal, and one of the best prospects on this list, Jayden Hibbert, starts in goal.
Will this exact lineup happen? Probably not. The veterans are interchangeable and there’s a chance some of the club’s stars still end up appearing in the lineup to play for pride. However, it is the perfect lineup to look towards the future and away from a rough Leagues Cup and 2025 season.
Analysis & Predictions
While both lineups are subject to change, Atlas’ respectable form in Liga MX highlights the team’s overall quality. They've demonstrated goal-scoring potential but continue to struggle defensively, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last 17 matches. Much like Gonzalo's tenure in Atlanta, his current side prefers to play without dominating possession, relying heavily on counter-attacks and set pieces to create chances. Atlanta’s younger players will need to adjust quickly to Atlas’ counter-attacking style.
Can Atlanta’s younger players also adjust to Deila’s preferred playstyle? While the first team hasn’t, their replacements will have the chance to work on long switches of play, developing a more effective press, and loading numbers into the box after the ball goes wide for better chance creation. Luke Brennan should thrive like he has the last few weeks in a system that preaches wing creativity, especially against a weak defensive side coached by Pineda. If Atlanta United remembers anything from the longest tenure of a head coach in club history, it’s that Gonzalo Pineda’s defensive shape will be poor and will fall apart against the counter attack. Even better, an efficient press would break down a side that struggles building out of the back through two deep midfielders.
Andrew: While pessimistic, I’m predicting a 1-0 win for Atlas. Their mid-table performance in Liga MX is, at the very least, more encouraging than Atlanta’s current form. As much as I’d love to see Atlanta’s younger players step up, the volatility in coaching and lineup doesn’t inspire much confidence.
Calum: I am also very pessimistic. As much as I think the Atlanta reserves have a chance to win this game, this is Atlanta United we’re talking about. It would be fitting to not only lose to an underperforming former head coach, but to probably do it with less reserves and younger prospects on the field than we think. Atlas win 2-1.
Will this "meaningless" match be more than just a battle for bragging rights? Or can Atlanta use it as a springboard to build momentum heading into the MLS regular season? Only time will tell.