After a run of four high-intensity divisional games, the Hounds’ fifth match in 16 days comes against a fresh opponent.
Atlanta United 2, currently third in the Central Division, comes to Pittsburgh for the first time in two years for a 7 p.m. Sunday kickoff that will be shown on 22 The Point and streamed on ESPN+.
While it might not have divisional implications, this is far from a trap game for the Hounds, who know their chances in the Atlantic Division come down to whether they can keep pace with Tampa Bay entering October and their final meeting.
So with an unfamiliar Atlanta team on the other side of the ball, these 3 Things will be important for the Hounds as they look to get their first win in four matches.
1.) Keep up the Tampa tempo
While there were plenty of things to not like about the scoreless draw Wednesday against Tampa Bay — not the least of which was the Hounds failing to record a shot on goal — there was a lot of good to come of that high-pressure result.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was that the Hounds were able to possess the ball for 65.8 percent of the match, their third-best total of the season, and it seemed to wear on the Rowdies as space opened up in the final half hour, most notably leading to Louis Pérez’s late shot off the crossbar.
Enter Atlanta, which has shown the same sort of scoring pop possessed by Tampa Bay — ATL2 was fourth in the USL Championship with 34 goals through Friday — though with far less defensive structure. If the Hounds can keep the ball away from Atlanta the same way they did the Rowdies, it stands to reason the space will be there again, and Atlanta will find it much harder than Tampa Bay to recover.
2.) Howlin’ Wolff
Atlanta United 2 doesn’t skew quite as young as some of the other “2” sides in the USL Championship, but one of their breakout players in recent weeks has been 18-year-old striker Tyler Wolff.
Wolff, the son of former U.S. international Josh Wolff, was the Championship Player of the Week after bagging his first pro hat trick in a 6-2 win over Indy Eleven, and he has four goals in his past three matches. With six on the season in just nine appearances, Wolff has a goal per every 106 minutes played, and those minutes are trending upward with his recent form.
Wolff is likely to be in the starting lineup again Sunday, and the Hounds will need keep close tabs and make things uncomfortable for a young player just finding his form at this level.
3.) Mertz magic vs. Danny danger
The game will also be the return of former Hounds midfielder and Pittsburgh native Robbie Mertz, who leads Atlanta in assists this season despite an injury-bothered start to the year.
That very well could set up an excellent battle of young central midfielders between 24-year-old Mertz and the Hounds’ rock in the center of the park, 23-year-old Danny Griffin.
The former teammates had similar paths to the Hounds — both were unsigned MLS SuperDraft picks out of college — and both were fixtures in the lineup by the end of their rookie season. Though both played similar positions in college, Griffin has settled into a holding role this season with the Hounds, which means he’ll frequently be the one trying to break up attacks going through Mertz.
While games are rarely won or lost on a single 1-on-1 matchup, which of those two controls more of the ball will give their team a decided leg up in the match.
