After their 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati, Atlanta United learned that they would be taking on Columbus Crew in the first round of MLS Cup playoffs.
The Columbus fixture hasn't been too kind this season for Atlanta, as they were decimated 6-1 in March and just barely scraped a 1-1 draw earlier this month at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The last time the Five Stripes prevailed over the Crew was back in the 2021 campaign, just a few days before Gonzalo Pineda was named head coach of the 2018 MLS Cup champions. Now, on the road at Lower.com Field for game one in a best-of-three series, things will be difficult without MVP candidate Thiago Almada, who was shown a second yellow card in the second half against Cincinnati.
While Pineda may have felt that his team could've matched up better with different opponents based on seeding, he knows that to achieve the ultimate goal - winning MLS Cup - you have to get through the best of the best to do so.
"Good opponent, as all of them are," he said after the draw with Cincinnati. "We are a club that wants to fight for championships. When you compete for trophies you have to pretty much beat everyone. That’s the path. You cannot choose really who you want or don’t want."
The Five Stripes hope to back on the right track to racking up trophies, as they missed out on the postseason in 2022, just the second time in their history that has happened (2020).
"Orlando could have been difficult, Columbus will be difficult," he added. "New England or Philadelphia would also have been difficult tasks. It’s Columbus, we know them, they know us. It’s three games and the best team will advance."
Columbus play host to the Five Stripes in the first round of MLS Cup playoffs, with game one set for November 1 at Lower.com Field.
Sign up now for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV to watch all the action from the 2023 Major League Soccer season. Click here to subscribe!
This article was originally published on 90min as Gonzalo Pineda previews Atlanta United's MLS Cup playoffs clash with Columbus Crew.
