Philadelphia visits Atlanta in matchup of slow-starting teams

Atlanta United is hearing a much different reaction from its fan base mere months after winning the MLS Cup.

After the boobirds came out en masse following the club's slow start this season, Atlanta (0-1-1) will bid to quiet that noise on Sunday night against the visiting Philadelphia Union (0-2-0).

The reigning MLS champion has sputtered out of the blocks, a stretch that includes a 1-1 draw to MLS expansion side FC Cincinnati last Sunday that didn't sit well with the home crowd.

Atlanta coach Frank de Boer called the fans "a little bit spoiled" after that match, but he apologized three days later and claimed that the word has a different connotation in his homeland of the Netherlands. He said he meant to imply that United States fans have high expectations for the club.

Those expectations haven't translated to goals, however, as Atlanta has just seven in six matches in 2019 -- with four coming in the same match against Herediano.

"I think we have to recognize to play a little bit of a different style," de Boer said, per the Gwinnett Daily Post. "We have to have runners behind their last line, and I think in the second half (on Sunday) we saw much more of that."

Atlanta recorded a 1-0 win over CF Monterrey on Wednesday in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, but it was bounced from the tournament with the Mexican side previously posting a 3-0 victory to seize the series on aggregate.

"Honestly, our first two objectives were this tournament and MLS," midfielder Ezequiel Barco said through a translator, per the Post. "Now our objective is to keep moving forward and keep reaching back similar to what we did last year."

Atlanta received a hat trick from Josef Martinez in a 3-1 victory over Philadelphia at home last season. Atlanta also enjoyed another two-goal win over the Union on the road and has outscored its foe by a 10-3 margin to record a 3-0-1 mark all-time versus the club.

Philadelphia dropped a 2-0 decision to host Sporting Kansas City last Sunday, a setback that featured an own goal by the visitors.

"We have some things to build on, we have some work to do going to Atlanta, a difficult place," Union coach Jim Curtin said. "Again, it's not going to be easy, but at the same time I think our group has played some good soccer and has to now fight to get those first points of the year."

Philadelphia will be without midfielder Marco Fabian, who is suspended for this match after receiving a red card against Sporting KC.

--Field Level Media