New York City FC take on Atlanta United on Wednesday night.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to Tommy Moos, co-host of the Scarves and Spikes podcast.
Hi Tommy, thanks for speaking with us. How long have you been covering Atlanta United?
Thanks for having me! I started covering Atlanta United at the beginning of the 2022 season with my friends Sydney and Tyler. We started as a post-game Twitter Spaces and eventually created our podcast and website, Scarves and Spikes.
What has been your highlight in that time?
Well, there hasn’t been much happiness with Atlanta United over the past 3 seasons. It feels like this has been a never-ending rebuild. If I have to choose one moment, I will say it was the 2022 home opener. It was the first opener since Covid and the stadium was packed and electric. It felt like the world was normal was again. Atlanta United also won, so that helped!
What were your thoughts on the 2023 season?
Last season was a mixed bag. The first half of the season was disappointing. The team was underperforming and crashed out in the group stage of Leagues Cup. During the summer transfer window, Atlanta picked up key pieces to help the attack: Tristan Muyumba, Xande Silva, and Saba Lobjanidze. As a result, they ended up finishing as the second-highest-scoring team in the league…unfortunately, they also led the league in goals allowed. Ultimately, Atlanta made the playoffs but were eliminated by Columbus in the 1st round.
What are your hopes for the 2024 season?
Sigh…to look competent? This season has been extremely frustrating. The team went out and completely revamped their defense. They moved on from Miles Robinson and brought in Stian Gregerson, MLS veteran Derrick Williams, and defensive midfielder Bartosz Slisz. Things should be better right? Unfortunately, no. The high-flying offense became stagnant, the new center-back pairing was injured, and things went downhill fast. Atlanta went on multiple winless streaks and manager Gonzalo Pineda was ultimately let go. The team also moved on from both of their star Designated Players, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Thiago Almada, and last week, they essentially confirmed they’ve sold Caleb Wiley to BlueCo (Chelsea/Strasbourg owners). It’s currently a team with huge holes to fill, so my biggest hopes for this season are to hire a manager and sneak into the playoffs.
What do you think will be the deciding factor in Wednesday's game?
For Atlanta United, grind the game out and hope for a result. It is going to be very difficult for Atlanta because DP Gregersen is out due to the red card he received on Saturday. Atlanta had 0 shots on target against Montreal, and the attack looked lifeless both during that match, as well as in their other match against Indy Eleven during the Open Cup quarterfinals last week.
For New York City FC, finish your chances. Montreal should have beaten Atlanta by 3 goals, but while they had many opportunities, they were unable to capitalize thanks in part to some amazing saves by Brad Guzan. Atlanta has leaked goals without Gregersen.
And for any fans that might be in Atlanta for the game are there any spots you'd suggest they check out?
Midweek games can be challenging due to weekday traffic, but you can head down to Home Depot Backyard behind the stadium for some tailgating. If you want to head to a fun bar, check out the Nest on Four at the Signia Hotel, which is also right next to the stadium.
