RIVALRY MATCH PREVIEW | Kings coming to the Queen City | Charlotte FC vs Atlanta United

the phrase to finish out the season 17s hold that line the five Stripes sitting at night still in the Eastern Conference just two points separating 15th all the way down to our spot right now as we long slide into this one it's rivalry week and oh it doesn't get any better than this that's Jason Long Shore I'm Joe fryhofer this is your AT&T countdown to kickoff Jason let's begin Carson California a two to nothing defeat for the five Stripes that saw bran Guan once again standing on his head making a big time penalty save let's go to the positives here a Johnny Fortune flexing his form once again this season yeah it was a good first 60 Minutes for Atlanta United on the road against the best team in the west and I think one of the big reasons for that was Jay Fortune he played in a little bit higher role in that Midfield Trio to start and he's a player who's comfortable there we've seen him with Atlanta United 2 and with the academy with goals and assists in his bag almost had a couple of those in this one out in California which would have made for a different match BTO sat deeper than we've seen in the past few matches which is where I think things will settle out once Alexi manuk is ready to get starts for this group but Jay Fortune has played so well as of late he's going to be fighting to keep that spot in the lineup Tristan mu still recovering off of a hip injury that saw Dax mccardy start in this one and oh by the way coming into the Midfield getting some of his first minutes with the five Stripes official threads he was wearing in that matchup was Alexi miduk you saw the technique you saw the the cerebral player that he is and oh by the way his first shot ever in five Stripes history Humes off of crossbar as well you can see the quality from the jump yeah what a quick turn and shot I don't think anyone is expecting that one from maranuk we talked to Jay Fortune about playing with Alexi this week and Jay said It felt a little bit like a pickup game because they'd only had maybe three four training sessions before that so now you've had another week and I think when what Jay was talking about with the pickup game analogy is when you you jump into a game with somebody you don't know you're looking for things that you can either compliment or play off of and Alexi is such a good player that it's easy to find that and we saw fortune and maranuk finding those combinations around the top of the 18 so now you give another week of time for them to build that chemistry build these little societies all over the field and maranuk as long as he's fit enough to play deeper into this I think we'll see more of him in Charlotte with an army of 17s the kings of the South are now heading to Charlotte sitting in sixth in the Eastern Conference in MLS right now second fewest goals conceded of any side in the Eastern Conference right now very rigid in that back line and oh by the way they made a splash in that transfer market as well Tim ree making the Premier League jump from Fulham to Charlotte yeah you bring ream back to MLS after starting with the Red Bulls and a lot of people looked at that and said this is a good defensive team they've only given up 28 goals why is that your big splash and they did have some other splashes but but re makes everybody better in that backline some young players in that backline that maybe in the short term might have to be on the bench a little bit more but in the long term their careers are going to advance from playing alongside and training alongside one of the best who's ever done it for the US Men's National Team somebody who I think is just completely underappreciated for what he's given to the program he's very good on the ball he's very intelligent he's a good organizer a good leader so that defense that was already good is going to be even better and when you're Dean Smith and that's how you want to start building a squad be strong defensively first we find things going forward as we go they're even better with that Foundation now we look at the chess board and start comparing pieces up top four Charlotte is Patrick aiman frame is 6'4 seven goals so far in the Eastern Conference this season for them he's a frame that I like to compare to in isach over at Newcastle as well tough to defend slippery loves to turn on the time ston Gregerson Derrick Williams however we shape up in that back line are going to have to keep a Keen Eye on aimon he's a big fellow and they use him off the bench as well as starting sometimes so sometimes it's a literal big change of pace when he comes into the match and sometimes it's from the start and he wears you down because he's constantly looking for that ball over the top and Charlotte going back to the idea of being solid defensively they're going to keep numbers behind the ball they want to prevent you from getting that first goal and if that means they have to to trade off and be a little direct at times they'll do that 17s it's time to storm Charlotte kickoff for this one is 7:30 as always through the MLS season pass on Apple TV 929 the game Jason Longshore Mike KY they'll have your call you're going to hear a lot of 17s in the crowd on this call pregame coverage starts at 6:30 five Stripes countdown with AE Gordon and Garrett Chapman from the studios back in midtown Atlanta and Mike Cony and I will take over just before kickoff at 7:40 you can also listen on the Odyssey app that's Jason Long Shore I'm Joe fryhofer this has been your AT&T countdown to kickoff Charlotte beyond the watch the kings of the South are coming to town [Music]