Atlanta United @ Charlotte FC preview: College Football is back!

Tall Roswell ain't played nobody

As always here on Five Stripe Final dot com, I’m going to be honest here. I’m much more concerned about whether Branson Robinson and Nate Frazier are going to be able to establish any sense of a running game for Georgia today than I am about whether or not Atlanta United opts for a midfield three without Tristan Muyumba. I’m still pretty interested in that. But there are levels to this.

The good news is that I can talk about today’s match with my brain still focused on college football because Atlanta United is playing MLS’ version of an SEC game today. Sure, it feels more like an SEC game between Mississippi State and Arkansas on Jefferson Pilot than Georgia-Bama. But it’s still an SEC game. And it features a five-star recruit for Atlanta United set to potentially make his first-ever start.

I’ve seen plenty of hyped-up five stars before. I remember Jacob Eason completing a pass during a scrimmage and sending an entire stadium into a fervor. I remember Matt Stafford doing the same.

I also remember Luiz Araujo running real fast and kicking a ball real hard. And I remember Pity Martinez running real slow and kicking a ball real hard. No, the running and the powerful kicking didn’t have any real aim or purpose, but it looked cool. Just give them both a second to get in our program under our coordinators and I’m sure it will all work out.

Anyway, it’s possible we see Alexey Miranchuk get his first start today. In his brief cameo against LA, we