New York City FC are facing a third game in eight days at Yankee Stadium when they host Atlanta United on Sunday in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal (7:30 pm ET | FS1, Fox Deportes, TSN 5, TVAS).
And for a team that has the likes of Maxi Moralez, Yangel Herrera and Jesus Medina all healthy for the first time in a long time, that's a good thing, says goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
"I think getting some games in quick succession is going to be good for us, I think, having that rhythm going into the Atlanta game," Johnson told the club website. "Obviously they’re a tough opponent, but I think if we continue to focus on what we’re doing as a football club, continuing to improve on the things that we did well and the things that we didn’t do well, I think we’ll come out victorious on the weekend."
The Cityzens drew Atlanta in both the teams' regular season meetings, a 1-1 affair at Yankee Stadium back in June and a dramatic 2-2 encounter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium way back in April.
After losing their grasp on the Supporters' Shield on the final day of the regular season and with Miguel Almiron's fitness a question, Atlanta may not carry the same cachet as in those earlier clashes. However, Johnson refuted the idea that there would be any problems getting motivated to face one of the most prolific and dynamic attacking sides in league history.
"If you’re not up for a game, a conference semifinal, it’s a problem," Johnson said. "So everybody’s ready, everybody’s mentally focused. Obviously we’ve got a couple days to prepare. So everybody’s doing what’s necessary to make sure we’re 100 percent ready to go."
