Atlanta United travel to face the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday with a win not quite vital to assure MLS Cup Playoff qualification, but with home field advantage on the line.
The Five Stripes have done brilliantly to drag themselves up the table, winning 10 of their 19 games following the removal of Gabriel Heinze, who won just two of his 13 MLS matches in charge.
But inconsistency, defensive lapses, and some wastefulness up top have caused Atlanta to drop some points that really ought to be in the bank. Gonzalo Pineda and Rob Valentino deserve huge credit for reviving what was very nearly another lost season. But, at this point, given the momentum that was building and the talent Atlanta have, missing out on home advantage - or the Playoffs altogether - would feel like a travesty.
Atlanta United arguably couldn't pick a worse opponent to travel to in their penultimate match than the Red Bulls. Gerhard Struber has performed similar miracles to turn their season around, with seven wins, just one defeat, and six clean sheets dragging them into seventh and above the Playoff line.
But it's not just the Red Bulls' recent form that will leave Atlanta fans looking on nervously. The 0-0 draw at Mercedes-Benz Stadium back in June means that in nine regular-season meetings between the two sides, the Five Stripes are yet to come out on the winning side. What's more, across all competitions, they've never won at Red Bull Arena and haven't even scored against New York in their last three meetings. There is often more angst toward this fixture from the 17s than their closer rivals - geographically, at least - Orlando City.
