Atlanta had their five-match unbeaten run snapped on Wednesday by New York City FC in a 1-0 defeat, while the Red Bulls second-half comeback fell just short, as they lost 3-2 to the New England Revolution.
With nine games played for Atlanta United in the regular season, the Five Stripes have blown several opportunities that could have put them higher than their current seeding, 10th in the Eastern Conference.
They appeared unsettled by a robust New York FC side on Wednesday, who put them under duress from the very beginning, making it very difficult for Atlanta to get into the game.
If not for a spectacular outing from goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who made a season-high six saves, the 1-0 defeat against New York could have been a lot worse, as Atlanta gave up plenty of quality opportunities and were outshot 18-6 on the night.
A great performance by their keeper went to waste in midweek, and it would be fair to say that Atlanta have squandered a lot of points recently, giving up back-to-back two-goal leads versus Nashville and Philadelphia, while also squandering a 1-0 lead against lowly Inter Miami.
Those six points lost could have moved Gabriel Heinze and his Five Stripes from 10th up to fourth place in the East standings.
They may not be in a playoff position at the moment, but they have shown that they can play well against the elite squads, drawing four games against teams who are currently in a playoff position, including the Seattle Sounders, Orlando City SC, the Philadelphia Union and Nashville SC.
Team News
Atlanta forward Josef Martinez and defender Ronald Hernandez are on international duty with Venezuela at the Copa America.
Midfielder Emerson Hyndman is out with a cruciate ligament rupture, and striker Erik Lopez picked up cautions in two successive matches, meaning he will miss the game on Sunday through suspension.
The Red Bulls will hope their current top goalscorer Caden Clark can make the most of his time remaining in New York, with the 18-year-old set the join RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga at the end of this season.
Midfielder Youba Diarra is out with a muscle injury along with Aaron Long, who will not be available for some time due to an Achilles tendon rupture and midfielder Cristian Casseres is with the Venezuelan national team for the Copa America.
5 Stripe News 