NYCFC vs Atlanta United FC preview: Can the team obtain revenge? | OneFootball

The last time New York City FC and Atlanta United FC met, the Pigeons were close to earning their first road win of the season.  However, the Five Stipes, who is now led by the Boys in Blue’s former head coach, Ronny Deila, had other ideas.  Despite struggling at the time, they found a way to come back and win.  Therefore, NYCFC will want revenge when the team comes to the Bronx.

Currently, the home team is in tenth place in the Eastern Conference, and the visiting side sits in 13th place.  Both have a strong desire to win, especially since there are so few games in June.  The pressure is also at a full-time high for NYCFC, for they have lost three games at Yankee Stadium in 2025.  They desperately need the main home to become a fortress again, for most of the remaining home fixtures will be in the Bronx.

Meanwhile, Pascal Jansen will be missing quite a few players due to international duty and injury.  While the Boys in Blue should have the advantage, the missing players can make it difficult to score, let alone win.

Let’s not waste any time.  Here is a preview of NYCFC’s home game against Atlanta United FC.

NYCFC vs Atlanta United preview

Date

NYCFC and Atlanta will battle it out on Thursday, June 12.

Time

The match will start at 7:30 PM ET.

Location

The game will take place in the Bronx, NY.

How to watch

Fans can watch the fixture on the MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Weather

Thursday’s game will be the first true summer match in the Bronx.  At the start, it will be around 87 degrees with partly cloudy skies.  The humidity will not be bad at all, for it will be around 40%.  Plus, 7 mph winds should offer a slight breeze.  There is a slim chance of rain when supporters will be heading home, but otherwise, it should remain dry.

Injury report

Malachi Jones (leg) and Keaton Parks (leg) are both unavailable.  In addition, multiple players returning from international duty may not be match-ready or have their minutes reduced.  Plus, there will be some who are still with their national teams for continental tournaments, like the CONCACAF Gold Cup.  Matt Freese, Mitja Ilenič, and Alonso Martínez will miss the Atlanta game because of that.

Players to watch

Since Martínez will be with Costa Rica, NYCFC needs someone to pick up the slack with scoring.  That is why Hannes Wolf is the player to watch against the Five Stripes.  He scored in the opposite fixture and goes through periods where he plays really well for the Pigeons.  The problem is that Wolf is not consistent.  So, can he be a leader in the final third and either find the back of the net or grab an assist?

On Atlanta, the player to watch is Brad Guzan.  The goalkeeper tends to do well against the Bronx team, but did allow three goals in the opposite fixture.  While some players will be missing, the question is whether Guzan can do better in this match.  If he does, then his team will have a strong chance of leaving with a point or more.

Based on the missing players and the recent issues at Yankee Stadium, it is difficult to see NYCFC winning.  That is why this prediction is a negative one.  The Pigeons will lose 2-0 and will struggle to get meaningful shots on target.  They will dominate in some aspects of the match, but in the end, Deila’s team will sweep the series.