Soccer is such an intense sport. The week after a win always brings an extra razzle to your dazzle, and you won’t find many natural highs that compare to what happened in Mercedes-Benz Stadium at the 98:04 mark of opening day. Savor the moment, because what Thiago Almada did in stoppage time is a small bottle of that magic that made Atlanta United so entertaining early in their history, and that atmosphere is what brought so many fans in the south to the beautiful game. That isn’t to say the style or play is anything like 2018, but the environment in Atlanta for that entire day was surreal. Authentic. Rowdy.
That was just part of the conversation the Scarves and Spikes crew had about Atlanta United’s week one win over San Jose Earthquakes. Opening day had plenty to talk about, including Tyler’s MARTA bus moment, Almada’s two goal of the week candidates, and so much more. The adrenaline hasn’t quite worn off, but it’s time to start looking forward to the upcoming weekend against Toronto F.C.
Enter TFC Republic’s John Molinaro, who has spent well over a decade covering the Reds just above the border. He spent time chatting with the crew about Lorenzo Insigne’s injury, players for Atlanta United fans to keep an eye on, Federico Bernardeschi’s ability to impact the game, and the best Italian and barbecue restaurants in Toronto (hint). His insight was invaluable as match day two approaches, as TFC had a large amount of turnover in the offseason. The Atlanta/Toronto match always has some fireworks; the first one coming to mind being the 2019 matchup in Toronto where a last second penalty was missed by Pity Martinez. So many memories.
Let us know what you think of the show and which edition of ATL/TOR was your favorite in the comments below, and check out the broadcast at the links below!
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