Minnesota vs Atlanta: 3 Things to Watch For

 Atlanta United travels to Minnesota to take on Minnesota United in a battle of expansion teams. Here are 3 things to watch for in Minnesota’s home opener.

The two 2017 MLS expansion teams meet up for the first time this season. Both teams are looking to bounce back from losses last week. Here are three things to watch for on Sunday’s game:

1. Minnesota’s back line

 Atlanta’s attack looked dangerous in their opener against the Red Bulls, and Minnesota’s defense will need to be ready. The question is, how will the back four look, particularly the right back position? Swiss Right back Jèrôme Thiesson is en route to Minnesota, but it is unclear whether he will start, considering he’ll have only been in Minnesota for a few days before the match.

Should Thiesson not be quite ready to start, Minnesota should consider starting Kevin Venegas at the right back spot. He likely wouldn’t be any worse than Jermaine Taylor in terms of defending, while also having the pace necessary to keep up with Atlanta’s fast-paced attack.

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2. What does Atlanta’s midfield look like? 

With Chilean international Carlos Carmona suspended for the match due to a red card he received against the Red Bulls, Atlanta will look different in the center. It may mean that rookie Julian Gressel gets the start again, but the question is who will play next to him. MLS veteran Jeff Larentowicz is a likely candidate, while Irishman Chris McCann is another. McCann will most likely start, but Carmona’s red card has certainly put Atlanta in a tough spot.

3) Minnesota’s attack

Minnesota should go with what they had in the last 20 minutes vs Portland. Christian Ramirez should start up top, so that Johan Venegas can play as the #10, as Minnesota looked much better when they had a playmaker in the midfield. As for the Left wing, Minnesota should start Bashkim Kadrii again over Miguel Ibarra, though there are advantages to starting either one.

The main change they need to make from last week’s Starting XI is Venegas as a #10, because they weren’t getting enough going forward out of the central midfield before making that change, and considering that this match may turn into a shootout, they will certainly need attacking ability out of the midfield.

Next: Minnesota vs Portland: 3 things we learned

Kickoff for Minnesota vs. Atlanta will be at 5pm EST and can be viewed on ESPN 2.