MLS can be a wild league; the word “parity” has been thrown around often this year because only a handful of teams have been able to break away from the pack. The Eastern Conference feels especially like the Hunger Games for any teams below third place as the last portion of the season arrives.
As of the time of this writing (between Saturday and Sunday match days), Atlanta United now sits at 13th in the conference with a game in hand on many of the teams above them. However, hope is a funny thing, and the Five Stripes sit only five points from fifth place and eight points from a home playoff position.