After a furious finish on the road in Cincinnati on Wednesday, New York City FC return home to Yankee Stadium, looking to reclaim first place in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer when they host Atlanta United on Sunday.
The reigning MLS Cup champions are winless in four consecutive matches in all competitions, while the Five Stripes have not claimed victory in seven straight road fixtures, dropping a 2-1 decision to the New York Red Bulls earlier this week.
Match preview
Wednesday was about as poor an opening to a match as interim boss Nick Cushing could have envisioned, as his team trailed FC Cincinnati 3-0 after a half an hour.
To their credit, the Pigeons did not roll over and incredibly were level by half-time before taking the lead early in the second half only to squander two points, conceding an equaliser twenty minutes from the end.
That performance has summed up much of what this team have given us since the sudden departure of manager Ronny Deila.
New York have started poorly, conceding the opener in four straight matches in all competitions under Cushing, fighting their way back numerous times but in the end unable to finish the job.
As Cushing searches for his first win in charge, he will be focused on fixing their defensive miscues of late, with the Boys in Blue conceding multiple goals in each of their last three games.
They have not left nearly as many gaps on the back end when playing in the Empire State, conceding multiple goals on only two occasions at home all year, including friendlies and CONCACAF Champions League encounters.
New York are as expected in the hunt for first place in the Eastern Conference, trailing CF Montreal, the Philadelphia Union and the New York Red Bulls by a single point, and Cushing will want them to show more composure in the latter stages of their games, conceding seven times domestically this year beyond the 70th minute.
When you think things are turning around in the Peach State, something seems to derail that momentum, which is exactly what has occurred over the past couple of games.
Another long-term injury is the last thing Gonzalo Pineda needed heading into their fixture on Thursday against the New York Red Bulls.
It was another hard-fought effort by the Five Stripes, who fell apart in the dying stages, conceding twice beyond the 80th minute, dropping a second consecutive road contest by a narrow 2-1 score.
With the number of serious injuries Atlanta have incurred to the core of this group, it seems rather miraculous that they have not entirely self-destructed, currently five points back of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Their defeat in midweek was the second time this year in which the Five Stripes had failed to hang onto a 1-0 lead, while they have let five points slip through their grasp, conceding four goals with fewer than 15 minutes to play.
There is plenty of skill up and down this roster, with some technically gifted players who are challenging to dispossess. However, we have not seen them be as greedy in the final third to threaten opposing defences consistently.
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Team News
A brace from Heber and a tally from Talles Magno helped the Boys in Blue pull even with Cincinnati before half-time this week, while Gabriel Pereira put them ahead early in the second half, only to have Brenner complete his hat-trick as New York extended its winless run away from home to three straight matches in all competitions.
Sean Johnson has conceded seven goals in his last three MLS starts after posting six consecutive clean sheets domestically, while Maxi Moralez picked up three assists in their previous game, though he also missed a penalty in the opening half.
Santiago Rodriguez is eligible to return from his yellow card suspension, which kept him out of their fixture versus Cincy, while Thiago Martins continues to recover from a lower-body injury and Keaton Parks recently underwent surgery to remove a blood clot and will not be available.
Josef Martinez tallied his fourth of the campaign for Atlanta in their defeat to the Red Bulls, moving him into a three-way tie alongside Ronaldo Cisneros and Luiz Araujo for the team lead.
Marcelino Moreno and Martinez are tied for first in assists with three each, while Dom Dwyer is without a goal in his last three MLS affairs.
It sounds like a broken record at this point, but the injured list in Atlanta remains extensive with Brooks Lennon (MCL), Osvaldo Alonso (ACL), Dylan Castanheira (Achilles), Brad Guzan (Achilles) and Miles Robinson (Achilles) all sidelined for an extended period of time.
Ronald Hernandez still has an MLC fracture, Santiago Sosa could be questionable because of an illness and Franco Ibarra will be suspended after picking up another caution on Thursday.
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Johnson; Amundsen, Callens, Tinnerholm, Gray; Acevedo, Morales; Magno, Moralez, Heber; Castellanos
Atlanta United possible starting lineup:
Rios Novo; DeJohn, Franco, Campbell, Ambrose; Hyndman, Rossetto, Moreno; Araujo; Martinez, Cisneros
We say: New York City FC 2-1 Atlanta United
As hard as Atlanta have fought to stay competitive, it seems as though the amount of injuries have taken a toll on them, and their body language shows a team that look demoralised, which rarely equates to positive results.
When the defending champions are given even a slight opening, they will make you pay, and the Pigeons should be able to find a breakthrough eventually this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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