Tools of the Match: How the 5 Cushions secure a home victory against the Houston Dynamo

After a two-week international break, Atlanta United are back at home this weekend when they host the Houston Dynamo at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Interim head coach Rob Valentino will begin his second tenure at the helm of the 5-stripes against a team Atlanta doesn’t see that often. There have only been three previous meetings between the two teams, with the last one taking place in July 2019. Atlanta owns an all-time record of 2-1-0 (WLT) in the series and both wins came via Atlanta’s highest-scoring home venue. the visitors 9-1 in those matches. This season, Houston sits in seventh place in the Western Conference heading into this weekend’s game. Let’s take a look at the game tools presented by Home Depot against the Houston Dynamo.

New voice, new beginnings

Rob Valentino, who was 4-2-2 during his previous interim in 2021, takes over and hopes to instill new confidence in the team. The 5 Bands are planning the second part of the season after this short break. With several away matches on the horizon, it is imperative to ensure the team picks up three points at home on Saturday.

The team continues to rank high in several offensive categories. They need to find a way to convert more of the chances they created. One area they can improve in the second half is set pieces. Atlanta scored just three goals from set pieces, all from penalties, in the first half of the campaign. With the quality of Atlanta’s performance in the team, it’s only a matter of time before the goals start coming from free kicks and corners. A set-piece goal early Saturday night could set the tone for the 5-cushion and lead to a positive result at home against Houston.

Be prepared for any tweaks or adjustments Houston makes

With major international tournaments such as UEFA Euro 2024 and Copa América 2024 set to begin next week, MLS teams will need to adjust their lineups or approaches at all levels. Houston will be without one of its starting midfielders in Coco Carrasquilla, while Atlanta will also be missing some of its starters.

The 5-stripe will need to be on the lookout for any tweaks or tweaks proposed by Houston coach Ben Olsen before Saturday. One player Olsen can count on is Mexican midfielder Hector Herrera. The former Atlético Madrid player had an exceptional season a year ago with 17 assists and four goals. He’s off to a slower start this year, but his quality on the ball and his vision are things Atlanta needs to be aware of.

Houston’s offense is led by Ibrahim Aliyu who has scored a team-high four goals. Sebastian Kowalczyk (three goals) and Amine Bassi (two goals, three assists) form an offensive trio that the Atlanta defense will have to monitor closely. If Atlanta can stifle Houston’s offense and cut off as many passes in the middle of the field, they will have a good opportunity to win three points at home.

Opportunity for players to step up their efforts and regain some of the momentum from earlier in the season

After a physically and mentally demanding month of May, the 5-bands now have the opportunity to start fresh and rebuild some momentum into their season. Whether it’s tactical adjustments on the part of the coaching staff or a change in mentality on the part of the players, something has to change for Atlanta to reverse these results. The team still has a lot of quality and these players will have to step up in the absence of others during these summer months.

Thiago Almada scored a goal in his last MLS match against Charlotte and had an outstanding performance in the previous match against Inter Miami. If the Argentinian can take his game to another level, he has the quality to return to matches. Xande Silva also scored against Charlotte and showed last season that he has the quality to make things happen on the wing. If the 5-Cushion can get the most out of their best players on Saturday night, they will be in a good position to earn three points against Houston.

Fans can catch MLS Season Pass on Apple TV Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET when the action begins at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. To hear the action on the radio, tune into Sports Radio 92.9 The Game (English) or La Mejor – AM 1600 (Spanish).