Atlanta United came back from 2-0 down just to concede yet another late goal this season in a 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution.
The game couldn't have started any worse for Atlanta. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan, in just his second game back from an MCL tear, gifted the visiting Revs with a goal after he misplaced a pass not even 30 seconds into the game.
Atlanta would go on to dominate the first half before New England's Bobby Wood made it 2-0 before half-time. In the second 45, Atlanta dominated and clawed their way back to a 3-2 lead thanks to goals from Giorgos Giakoumakis, Thiago Almada and Miguel Berry, who scored a fantasic volleyed shot that looked like the winning goal.
But in stoppage time, Carles Gil scored his second goal of the game as the Revs left Atlanta with a point, 3-3. The game encapsulated Atlanta United perfectly: scoring plenty of goals, especially in the first half, but also not being able to defend well, either.
Here's how Atlanta's next six games compare to playoff rivals Philadelphia Union, New England Revolution and Columbus Crew following their 3-3 draw against the Revs.
Atlanta United's next six games
On paper, Atlanta United has had a somewhat decent season thus far. The Five Stripes have scored the most goals in Major League Soccer with 32 and are fifth in the Eastern Conference table.
However, that only tells half of the story. Atlanta has also conceded the most goals in the league with 28. While Atlanta has collected 24 points from 16 games, they have looked inconsistent and out-of-sorts for most of the season barring a couple of games.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see Atlanta win one/two games agains their opponents listed above. In particular, games against LAFC and Philadelphia Union will test the resolve of Pineda's squad.
The playoff picture could look very different after those six games and Atlanta could find themselves outside of the top half if they are unable to string together several solid performances.
Philadelphia Union's next six games
Philadelphia Union have established a foothold in the Eastern Conference table as they're currently in third place with 27 points. The Union are currently riding a five-game unbeaten streak, winning four games during that period.
The Union may have their hands full in their games against San Jose, Orlando and Atlanta. On the other hand, they can continue their climb up the Eastern Conference in games vs. the Galaxy, Inter Miami and Montreal.
The Union's 3-0 win over the New England Revolution showed that they deserve their place near the top of the East. Goals from Mikael Uhre and Julian Carranza have helped them up until this point, with Uhre scoring five goals and Carranza scoring seven.
New England Revolution's next six games
The New England Revolution has quietly crept up the Eastern Conference table, earning 26 points from 15 games played. While Mikael Uhre and Giacomo Vrioni have impressed under head coach Bruce Arena, most of the goal scoring for the Revs has been a group effort.
Bobby Wood has five goals while Carles Gil, who scored a brace on the road against Atlanta United to earn his side a point, has scored five times as well.
The Revs' next six games look quite favorable for the most part. Following the road game vs. the struggling NYCFC, the Eastern Conference team has three straight home games against mostly lesser oppositon.
Most would expect New England to pick up wins against Inter Miami and Toronto, while the game against Orlando City will likely be a difficult task. Playing on the road against the streaking FC Cincinnati will the most difficult game on the list, and the Revs will follow that up when they travel to another struggling New York team, the Red Bulls.
Columbus Crew's next six games
The Columbus Crew have positioned themselves in a decent spot in the playoff picture despite their poor recent results. Before Wednesday night's 3-2 win over Colorado Rapids, the Crew had dropped three straight in all competitions.
Respectable losses against FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC saw them drop down the table for a moment. The Crew are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with 21 points.
Their next six games feature difficult tasks as well as more favorable ones. Most would expect Columbus to get the job done against Chicago, NYCFC, NYRB and Inter Miami. However, they face challenges when they come up against Charlotte FC and Nashville who are both currently in MLS playoff spots.
This article was originally published on 90min as Atlanta United fixtures: Next six games compared to Philadelphia, New England & Columbus after Revs draw.