Atlanta United vs. Philadelphia Union: How to pretend like you know what you're talking about for Matchday 7

At home in front of an SEC crowd.

via Atlanta United

Same as last time, y’all. We’re going to give you the tools to sound like the smartest person in the room in whatever room you happen to be watching the game. Whether that’s in the stadium. in your house, or in a chat room on the internet, we’re going to try and get you prepared. So get your mind right. This is more about you than it is about me. 

When Atlanta announces their starting lineup say and someone says, “Uhhhh where is everybody??” you say: “Still dealing with injuries, GG and Stian weren’t training in full on Friday.”

GG and Stian weren’t training in full on Friday. It’s still not clear if Xande Silva will be available. Derrick Williams and Jamal Thiare are out. 

Yeah. It’s getting dire. 

When you give the injury report and someone says, “Oh no, so what does that mean???” you say: “Well, it means Luis Abram and Noah Cobb are in for a heckuva day.”

Y’all should be familiar with the Union at this point. For over half a decade now, they’ve approached the game the same way with a relatively unchanging roster. There’s nothing new to tell you about with this team. 

They still gravitate toward their 4-4-2 diamond setup. They still play direct whenever the opportunity presents itself. They still trot out young academy players you’ve never heard of who turn into the best player on the pitch. They still have all your favorite characters like Jose Martinez and Jim Curtin. 

You know what kind of game you’re going to get. And it’s not the kind of game where