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Improved ATL UTD 2 Awaits North Carolina Rematch

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 09/19/18, 3:21PM EDT

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Atlanta kicks off seven-game homestand to close regular season on Friday night


ATL UTD 2 has shown solid improvement ahead of its second meeting this season with North Carolina FC, which kicks off a seven-game homestand on Friday night at Coolray Field. | Photo courtesy Karl L. Moore / ATL UTD 2

ATLANTA – The length of the USL regular season can often mean the memory of an initial meeting between two sides that in the opening months can often have faded into the rear-view mirror by the time the two teams meet again.

But ahead of Friday night’s game against North Carolina FC (7 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+), the memory of the 4-0 defeat ATL UTD 2 suffered back in May when the teams met for the first time is still pretty fresh for Atlanta defender AJ Cochran.

“The result is definitely in the back of our mind,” said Cochran. “We went on the road to them and they put one on us that game. We are definitely looking for a little bit of revenge, but we are a different team than we were back then. We are going to go out there and hope to impress our fans and look to get three points.”

Adding some more experience to the back line alongside Cochran and Jack Metcalf has certainly helped Atlanta of late, with the side having claimed back-to-back victories for the first time this season before its narrow 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies this past Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium. The arrival of players like experience Georgia native Tyler Ruthven have given the side a noticeable boost, to where while ATL UTD 2 isn’t going to be part of this year’s USL Cup Playoffs, it can still make life difficult for those who are hoping to be.

NCFC certainly falls into that category, with the visitors on Friday night sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and three points out of the playoff positions at the start of this week’s action. After claiming a 1-0 victory on the road against fellow playoff hopeful Penn FC last Sunday, North Carolina would further boost its chances of a trip to the postseason in its first season in the USL by earning a second victory against Atlanta this season.

While NCFC wasn’t necessarily at its best against Penn in what was a tense playoff six-pointer, the ability North Carolina has on the ball is something Atlanta Head Coach Scott Donnelly is well aware of.

“They are one of the best passing teams in the league, one of the most fluid teams in all of USL,” said Donnelly. “They keep the ball well. If you don’t retain your organization and put some pressure on them they can knock the ball and pick you apart. We have got to be a little bit sharper defensively to make sure we limit their chances. We’ve always responded well playing back at home and I expect us to that again on Friday.”

Atlanta certainly has been a far tougher proposition on its home turf at Coolray Field this season than on the road, with three wins and five draws in its 10 home outings so far this season. The side will wrap up its inaugural season with seven consecutive home contests, and with others currently below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference including Nashville SC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies among those set to visit the team will have the chance to have a say in the makeup of the playoff field.

With the side having also grown in experience since its first encounter with North Carolina back in May, Atlanta is aiming to combine the stylish play with the combativeness it has shown over recent weeks to challenge the postseason contenders it will face down the stretch.

“Even at the start of the year we were putting together some decent performances together. We were playing some nice football, but the results just weren’t falling our way,” said Atlanta midfielder Oliver Shannon. “In the last few weeks what’s changed the most has been that we have battled a lot harder. I think if we can really focus on playing the way we know we can and want to and combine that with the battle in these last seven games it should come together for us. If you combine the nice football we have been playing with how we have been battling lately, you can really be a good team.”

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