Atlanta United FC: 3 Takeaways from the Chicago Fire Match

Atlanta United FC continued their impressive start to their first ever MLS season by extinguishing the Chicago Fire at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta 4-0 on Saturday. What were the three biggest takeaways from Saturday’s matchup?

The hype is real. Many have questioned the excitement surrounding Atlanta all year. After letting their first game, a game they dominated statistically, slip away, many analysts were quick to bring out their “I told you so,” phrases to tamp down the huge expectations from many Atlanta faithful.

But the boys in Red, Black, and Gold have responded in a big way with two huge victories including Saturday’s thrashing of the Chicago Fire. Here are the key takeaways from that match:

1. The Five Stripes are contenders on many fronts.

After a thrilling week three in Major League Soccer, Atlanta find themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference and in close contention for the Supporter’s Shield.

Last week, Josef Martinez was named MLS Player of the Week, Miguel Almiron had the Goal of the Week, and those two, along with defender Greg Garza, were named to the Team of the Week.

After this week’s game, Martinez is the leader for the Golden Boot, GK Alec Kann is leading the league in saves, and Martinez has this goal, his second of the game, in contention for Goal of the Week:

Sure, it is early. Sure, the games have been played in unique circumstances (snow in Minnesota and Chicago with 10 men for the majority of the game). But even with those considerations, it is clear that Atlanta aims to compete in their first year, and it will not be that surprising if they finish the year with some hardware.