Atlanta looks to finish off NYCFC at home

Atlanta United finished the regular season 13 points ahead of New York City FC and hopes to use the home field to its advantage in the second leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal on Sunday. 
United secured a 1-0 victory at Yankee Stadium on Nov. 4 for the important away goal in the aggregate-goal series and looks to reach the conference final for the first time in its two-year history before an expected crowd of more than 70,000 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 
"We know it will be a difficult game at a difficult field with a great atmosphere," NYC midfielder Yangel Herrera said. "We believe in our objective of going there to win the match. We have 100 percent faith we can turn this around." 
Last season Atlanta set the MLS playoff record with a turnout of 67,221 for its lone postseason match, losing on penalty kicks to Columbus Crew SC in the knockout round. 
New York City faces a challenge to advance to the semifinals for the first time in its four-year history. Atlanta was 11-2-4 at home and carries a 10-game (7-0-3) unbeaten streak in MLS games there. NYCFC was 4-9-4 on the road and has four losses and a tie in its past five away matches. 
NYC has not scored more than one goal in any of those five games and will need at least one while shutting out Atlanta to send the series to extra time. 
Atlanta will have a healthier Miguel Almiron, who returned for the first leg from a hamstring injury, and will try to get MLS goal leader Josef Martinez into space, something that was difficult to do on the narrower baseball field at New York 
Martinez had a league-record 31 goals as Atlanta topped MLS with 70 goals scored, yet it was defensive midfielder Eric Remedi who had the lone goal at Yankee Stadium 
Meanwhile, NYCFC star David Villa had four shots but none on target in the first match, and Atlanta hounded playmaking midfielder Maxi Moralez to the tune of fouling him six times as NYCFC did not register a shot on goal for the first time at home this season. 
"(Remedi) did a fantastic job on him, always keeping an eye on him wherever he is," Atlanta defender Michael Parkhurst. "The three of us in the back also were trying to keep an eye on him to make sure that he couldn't control the game in between the lines." 
The series winner faces either the Columbus Crew or the New York Red Bulls