FC Cincinnati is returning to regular season action after a ferocious 4-0 win over Dominican-side O&M in the Concacaf Champions Cup. They will be hosting fellow Eastern Conference hopeful Atlanta United.
THE FIVE STRIPES
Atlanta United retained all of their talent from last season but made one major change: sacking Ronny Deila and replacing him with their old MLS Cup winning manager Tata Martino. The move was made after a disappointing 14th place finish in the East, despite having one of the highest payrolls.
They made additions in the image of a Tata team, based around South American talent. They signed new starter center-back Tomas Jacob, new less offensive left-back Elias Baez, and experienced goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos, who replaced Brad Guzan. There were also the signings of Fafa Picault for winger depth, and familiar face Sergio Santos for striker depth.
The Five Stripes have, on paper, one of the most threatening attacks in MLS. It didn’t manifest last season, but a full preseason with all of them together is promising. Emmanuel Latte-Lath, the MLS record signing, will be the main focus after scoring just 7 goals in 2025. Alexei Miranchuk will be the playmaker out on the left wing; their other DP is Miguel Almiron, who will be returning to the right-wing where he was as a club legend before. The hope is that Tata is able to bring it all together like he did in 2018.
Tata Martino employs a style that is known for its emphasis on being on the attack as much as possible. He instructs his sides to be possessive with a purpose, and to counter-press once the ball is lost. This season, they are expecting to return to the heights of the conference after a spell of finishes near the edge of the playoff line or even towards the very bottom.
THE ORANGE & BLUE
For the first time since Albright took the job as general manager, the Orange and Blue did not spend the offseason rebuilding. They are preparing for a sophomore season of Kévin Denkey and Evander, with a newly-added piece out wide to support them in Bryan Ramirez. Other than depth and some departures, that was the order of business.
Their preseason was a net success, despite a not-so-great 2-2-1 record. They managed to keep every player healthy as Matt Miazga gets closer to full-match fitness. A full preseason with a core starting XI is a luxury the club had not been able to boast in prior seasons. This will give Noonan and his staff ample time at the drawing board for how to approach these early weeks.
The main question surrounding this match is how Brett Uttley executes his new offensive gameplan. Wednesday looked like a step in the right direction; there were moments of eye-catching ball play and the wing-backs were stretching the pitch. But that was for an opponent that knew it was not expected to win. How it fares against Atlanta is less clear.
One thing is certain. In the first match of the regular season, in front of a raucous crowd, the Orange and Blue will be ready to hit the pitch running. Expectations are still as high as ever in the Queen City.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cincinnati’s player to watch is Denkey. He scored in their first three preseason games, and against O&M FC, with a long-shot that was too powerful to save. The club has placed more of an emphasis on creating quality chances for him. And being on that early season hot streak, he is expected to net at least one of them.
Atlanta’s player to watch is Miguel Almiron. He had six goals and four assists in 2025, which are underwhelming numbers for a player who was in the MLS Best XI for the entirety of his first spell. Still, this was an issue of Deila’s disjointed attacking set up; with Tata as his manager again, Almiron can be back to his best—as soon as tomorrow.
PREDICTED LINEUP:
MATCH INFO
WHERE: TQL Stadium
WHEN: 7:30 PM
WATCH: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+
LISTEN: ESPN 1530 iHeart Radio w/ Tommy G and Kevin McCloskey
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