Team wants to get back to winning ways in clash against Atlanta

Neither team was happy with how their games ended on Wednesday, so the Columbus Crew and host Atlanta United are looking to bounce back at each other’s expense on Saturday.

For the Crew (12-3-7, 43 points), a 1-1 home draw against Charlotte FC to end a five-game winning streak was a hard landing after a resounding 5-1 victory at Los Angeles FC four days earlier.

Charlotte forward Patrick Agyemang scored the equalizer in the 84th minute to tie the game. The result was bittersweet given the team had nine shots on goal.

A quick turnaround will not allow the crew to dwell on lost points.

“This league moves very quickly,” Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. “The message is simple. It may sound cliché, but it is: ‘Control what you can control.’ The idea is to be good in the moment, and then we’ll see. I like to challenge my players all the time.”

Atlanta (6-11-7, points) also thought it had the three points it needed to end a three-game losing streak, especially since Daniel Rios set a club record for the fastest goal to start a game (21 seconds).

Saba Lobjanidze added a goal in the 38th minute, but New York City scored twice in the second half, the last on Talles Mango’s penalty in the 82nd minute.

“I’m angry, I’m upset,” Atlanta United interim manager Rob Valentino said. “But we’ve got another game to play on Saturday.”

The task doesn’t get any easier against a Crew team that has outscored its opponents 21-3 in its last six games.

“There’s no other way. It’s a tough time,” Atlanta goalie Brad Guzan said. “We have to bounce back. Nobody’s going to do it for us. We have to keep going.”

Guzan will try to slow down Crew forward Cucho Hernandez, who has nine goals and six assists in the last eight games.

Each team will be without one U.S. Olympian: Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, who made three saves in a 1-0 win over Atlanta on Feb. 24, and Atlanta defender Caleb Wiley.

Additionally, Atlanta defender Stian Gregersen will be suspended for a red card.

–Field level media