Atlanta United heads to Columbus on Sunday with little margin for error and little time to recover. The Crew host Atlanta United at 5 p.m. ET on May 24 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, in a match that comes after a rough midweek and before a long league break tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Atlanta United is trying to steady itself after a 4-1 loss to Orlando City SC in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal in midweek, a defeat in which all four Orlando goals came before halftime. Tata Martino took the blame afterward, saying: “My responsibility. Absolutely me. It’s not the responsibility of the players.” The result followed a better showing last weekend, when Jay Fortune scored late to secure a 1-1 result against Orlando City SC in MLS play. Fortune made that performance stand out with a career-high five chances created, plus 22 passes into the final third and 12 final-third entries.
The trip to Columbus matters in the standings, too. Atlanta sits three points out of 10th place in the Eastern Conference, and a result on the road would help keep its postseason push alive before the schedule pauses. The club already knows what this opponent can do after a 3-1 home loss to the Crew on “404 Day” earlier this season, a reminder that Columbus can punish mistakes quickly when Atlanta slips out of shape.
Miracle-Gro Field is also the kind of place where the game can turn late. Columbus has conceded 16 of its 23 goals in the second half this season, while Atlanta has scored nine of its 14 goals after the break. That split gives the visitors a route back into the match if they can stay close through the opening hour. Alexey Miranchuk framed it simply: “It’s not going to be an easy game obviously. It’s an away game against another good team. We need to understand everything, and we will do everything to finish this part of the season on a good end.”
Atlanta may still be shorthanded. Fafa Picault is out with a hamstring injury, Steven Alzate is questionable with an adductor issue, Matías Galarza is out for personal reasons, and Emmanuel Latte Lath is questionable because of illness. Miguel Almirón is also chasing one final opportunity to return before the break, adding another layer of uncertainty to a team that needs points and, just as urgently, some rhythm. After the open-cup setback and with the league pause approaching, Atlanta does not need perfection in Columbus. It needs a result that makes the next few weeks feel survivable.
