Neither Martino nor the players can definitively say why they played so poorly in the first meeting. Martino does know that it’s the only game this season where he thought his team was outplayed for the entire game.

“It was one of those games where we didn’t have the energy,” captain Michael Parkhurst said. “I can’t say why that was. But looking at it and feeling it in the game, it just didn’t seem like we had the capability to go out there and sprint around and bring that level of energy that you need to bring in MLS. Who knows if it was the travel or the time of the game or what it was? But that happens every now and then.”

Atlanta United was outshot 16-8, including 11 on target to its four and gave up eight corner kicks to getting three. Thought it had a slight edge in possession, it was seldom able to generate much from that advantage. The only positive memory was Carlos Carmona’s goal, which even Martino said after the game his team didn’t deserve based upon their performance.

“I think we all had a bad game against New York City,” striker Hector Villalba said. “Sometimes you wake up and things always go your way and sometimes you wake up and there other bad day. That was just one of those bad days.”

Though it will play without Martino , who is suspended for this game because he was ejected against Houston, Atlanta United will have a few things in its favor Sunday that it didn't have in New York.

First, it seems to have found a formation that works better. Following that game, Villalba was moved into the lone striker role in place of Kenwyne Jones, who is being used as a sub. Julian Gressel, who has scored in two consecutive games, was moved into Villalba’s normal spot as the right midfielder.

Second, the field at Bobby Dodd is bigger than that postage stamp-sized field that NYCFC calls home. If the boys in blue try to press, as they effectively did in the first meeting, Atlanta United will have more space in which to work.

Third, Atlanta United will have a sellout crowd of slightly less than 45,000 in support.

Fourth, it wants revenge.

“For us, it’s good we see it a revenge game,” Villalba said. “We want to go out and show that we can get a good result.”