In two years of playing in front of massive, record-breaking crowds in Atlanta, Michael Parkhurst has come to expect boisterous support at home, whether it was at Bobby Dodd Stadium or now at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
But it’s Atlanta United's road support that has taken the veteran defender aback.
“I’ve never experienced what I’ve experienced this year on the road, where sometimes we come out for warmups or when we score a goal and you hear such noise and such support, you look around and think ‘Holy smoke, what’s going on here?” Parkhurst said. “It’s almost like we’re becoming the Red Sox or Cubs of MLB that when we travel our supporters are so loud and so numerous, the home crowd is looking around and saying ‘Holy smoke, are we outnumbered here?’ It’s a big boost for us. It’s awesome to play in front of.”
Parkhurst, who made his comments on the Dukes & Bell show on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, is hoping for similar support Sunday (1 pm ET | ESPN - Full TV & Streaming info) at Red Bull Arena in what Parkhurst calls the “game of the year in MLS.”
“It’s got the most deciding riding on it,” Parkhurst said. “We know that if we win this game we are very, very close to clinching Supporters’ Shield. We do clinch Concacaf Champions League and those are two goals for the team that we’ll be able to check off if we win the game on Sunday … It’s going to have a playoff feel to it and we’re looking forward to it.”
Atlanta come into the showdown with a four-point lead over the Red Bulls in the Shield race with both teams even on games played. New York won the first meeting, 3-1, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on May 20.
Both teams have placed an emphasis on winning the Shield and Parkhurst knows on Sunday, as has been the case throughout the season, the pressure is on the Five Stripes.
“We know we’re in first place and we want to win trophies. In order to do that, you have to be No. 1. And with that comes some added pressure. And that’s alright. We’ve earned that,” Parkhurst said. “You have to go out and earn that and that’s what we’ve done. So we take pride in that and we know that we have a target on our back. We’ve dealt with that all year long. The expectation is to go out there and win on Sunday and try to wrap up a couple different things and then continue it on into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and take that onus on us and try to win another trophy [MLS Cup].”
