Atlanta United’s opening preseason match was more theater than competition. While the 4-0 win was really fun to watch, the occasion was a celebration of Southeastern soccer and Atlanta’s first ever match in front of their fans. With all due respect to Chattanooga FC, the preseason gets real this weekend with the beginning of the Carolina Cup Challenge.
The difficulty level for the club is about to receive a significant bump up with the Columbus Crew (Sat., 4 p.m.) on tap for Tata Martino’s side. While it’s still the preseason and kinks are to be expected, it should be a good challenge (pun not intended) for Atlanta playing against MLS competition for the first time.