Figuring out what matters as Atlanta United hosts Seattle

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Atlanta United will take on the Seattle Sounders on Saturday night. I’m gonna level with you: It’s a tough sell.

A quick glance at the standings (if you dare) and it’s clear that (1) Is not making the playoffs. (2) Might win the Wooden Spoon.

The current projected playoff line is 47 points if Chicago keeps their 1.39 points per game pace. Atlanta, sitting on 20 points, would need 27 points from their last 11 games to match them. I’m gonna level with you again: That ain’t happening.

The much more likely outcome is that Atlanta wins the Wooden Spoon. That doesn’t mean it’s a probable outcome. Just a much more likely one. The Five Stripes are five points ahead of last-place CF Montréal. Although, it would be fair to note that Atlanta has a game in hand.

I personally don’t think Atlanta is going to fall behind them. But it’s something to keep in the back of your mind if you thrive off embracing melancholy or something to jettison from your mind entirely if you’d just rather not think about it.

You can also make things a little more fun by checking in on Atlanta United’s bowl eligibility. In general, college football teams need six wins in a season to make a bowl game.¹ The Five Stripes have been stuck on four wins for a while now. CAN. THEY. GET. TO. SHREVEPORT? We’ll have to wait and see.

Anyway, there is actually something to pay attention to on Saturday.