Newspaper Page Text
2B Friday, November 30, 2018
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
SPORTS
LANIER
■ Continued from 1B
at 3-to-10 feet deep. Retrieve
your crank baits slow and
steady and keep them in
contact with the bottom.
Keep fishing this way until
the bites stop.
After that, we have been
fishing the sides of the
ditches from 15-to-30 feet
with a Jig and Big Bites
Fighting Frog trailer. Jigs
imitate the crawfish that
Lake Lanier’s spotted and
largemouth bass love. I don’t
know about you, but I would
rather eat lobster than tila-
pia, and I think bass feel the
same way. The jig bite can
occur all day long, so stick
with it and you will catch
bigger bass.
As the sun gets high in the
sky, we have been search
ing for fish in the center of
the ditches. My Lowrance
Carbon 16 can tell us if the
fish are right below the boat
and Structure Scan and 3D
help us to see groups of fish
that 2D would miss out to the
sides of the boat.
These fish group up in big
schools along the bottom
and when you find them you
can load the boat! What you
are looking for are arcs or
“spaghetti’ that indicate fish
directly under the boat.
Our main weapon is a
jigging spoon. Use a half
ounce Flex-It or Hopkins
style spoons. Some people
prefer the sensitivity of fluo
rocarbon, but this is one of
the rare instances where I
use 20-pound test Sunline
Monofilament. The heavier
weight monofilament slows
the fall of the spoon. I also
replace the stock hooks with
lighter Gamakatsu trebles
because they penetrate bet
ter. Plus, you can straighten
the hooks with this heavier
line and avoid losing to
many spoons. Lost lures
are just part of the deal, so
make sure to have plenty as
a backup.
Drop your spoon to the
bottom and reel it up a foot
or two. Pop your spoon up
and down along the bottom.
Most hits will occur as the
spoon falls, so watch your
line and look for a “tick”
on the fall. Even when
you don’t feel the bite, you
are popping the spoon fast
enough that you will catch
most fish that strike. You
can also use a drop shot or
jig in these same areas.
Check out my YouTube
channel “Eric Aldrich Fish
ing” for more details on how
to identify the best ditches
with your mapping software!
Striper fishing remains
inconsistent and the fish
are roaming just about
anywhere. The gulls have
come inshore to weather
out the winter before return
ing to the coast in warmer
months. Watch for gulls and
loons to give away the loca
tion of bait. Watch the birds
along with your electronics
to locate feeding stripers.
Some fish will be deep while
others may be feeding on
the surface so keep your
options open!
My Lowrance units help
me to locate stripers in the
same way we locate bass.
Set your screen to a split
view between traditional
2D and Structure Scan and
cover water until you locate
bait and fish. The stripers
will often be located in the
same ditches that the bass
use.
Because the stripers are
scattered, you may need to
keep moving, so consider
trolling an Umbrella Rig.
Most local bait stores sell
pre-rigged, Captain Mack’s
Umbrella Rigs. I buy the
bare rigs and outfit them
with SPRO Bucktails with
Big Bites Suicide Shads for
trailers. You can use lead
core to help get the rigs
deeper, but I like 65-pound
test Sunline SX1 braid. The
braid cuts through the water
and allows me to keep my
rigs higher or lower in the
water column. Invest in an
umbrella retriever as it will
pay for itself the first time
you get snagged.
If you locate a school of
stripers, then use both flat
lines or down lines with live
herring or medium shin
ers. The medium sized baits
seem to have been more
effective in the last 2 years.
Small to medium-sized her
ring are also hard to beat.
Try baiting at least one
trout on a flat line with a bal
loon set about 15 feet ahead
of your bait. I have very fond
memories of seeing big strip
ers trap trout against the sur
face. They may hit it many
times before finally eating
it, so keep your rods in their
holders until you hook up.
We have been seeing a
lot of fish midway back into
the creeks down lake along
with some decent action on
up around River Forks and
the mouth of the Chestatee.
I prefer to target fish that
are surfacing with artificial
lures. My go-to lure is a half
ounce SPRO Bucktail. Using
artificial lures frees up a
striper anglers’ options. You
can keep moving quickly
without having to pull your
baits or rigs back to boat.
Trout fishing has been
up and down below Buford
Dam. The water is warmer
and more stained than
the colder clear mountain
streams. Recent rains can
cause the river to muddy up
but during low water levels,
the river has been fishable
and the trout are biting.
The North Georgia
streams are mostly clear
except after heavy rains.
Trout spawn when water
temperatures reach 50
degrees. Late fall and win
ter are great times to target
your biggest fish of the year.
Fly anglers should try a
Woolly Bugger early and
later in the day. During
sunny days switch to some
thing flashier like a small
streamer or salmon egg
pattern.
The trout are eating a
variety of baits, so pick your
favorite lures or bait and
visit the most productive
areas you can find. It’s OK
to keep a limit for dinner
but consider just taking a
picture of the big ones and
release them so they can
spawn.
Bank fishing: Crappie
fishing in private ponds and
on Lake Lanier is usually
good in the colder months.
These tasty fish will be
located in tight groups. If
you catch one, then there
should be several more in
the same area.
On Lake Lanier the fish
will be located in deep
brush around 25-feet-deep.
Dock owners can downline
minnows or fish small jigs
directly under their docks.
Bank anglers can visit parks
with deep public docks
or they can fish around
bridges.
Eric Aldrich is an outdoor
writer, marketing specialist
and bass angler. Reports
are based on personal
experience and permission
from a close network of
friends. He would love to
hear from readers, so please
email him at esaldrich@
yahoo.com Remember to
take a kid fishing!
Football/NFL
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
W
East
L T
Pet
PF
PA
New England
8
3 0
.727
307
249
Miami
5
6 0
.455
223
283
Buffalo
4
7 0
.364
161
272
N.Y. Jets
3
8 0
.273
221
281
W
South
L T
Pet
PF
PA
Houston
8
3 0
.727
273
222
Indianapolis
6
5 0
.545
325
273
Tennessee
5
6 0
.455
195
223
Jacksonville
3
8 0
.273
197
243
W
North
L T
Pet
PF
PA
Pittsburgh
7
3 1
.682
316
249
Baltimore
6
5 0
.545
271
198
Cincinnati
5
6 0
.455
276
347
Cleveland
4
6 1
.409
253
283
W
West
L T
Pet
PF
PA
Kansas City
9
2 0
.818
404
294
L.A. Chargers
8
3 0
.727
307
219
Denver
5
6 0
.455
252
252
Oakland
2
9 0
.182
187
327
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
W
East
L T
Pet
PF
PA
Dallas
6
5 0
.545
234
213
Washington
6
5 0
.545
220
229
Philadelphia
5
6 0
.455
230
253
N.Y. Giants
3
8 0
.273
237
288
W
South
L T
Pet
PF
PA
New Orleans
10 1 0
.909
409
256
Carolina
6
5 0
.545
287
282
Atlanta
4
7 0
.364
280
307
Tampa Bay
4
7 0
.364
294
338
W
North
L T
Pet
PF
PA
Chicago
8
3 0
.727
317
211
Minnesota
6
4 1
.591
265
246
Green Bay
4
6 1
.409
264
267
Detroit
4
7 0
.364
238
286
W
West
L T
Pet
PF
PA
L.A. Rams
10 1 0
.909
389
282
Seattle
6
5 0
.545
276
243
Arizona
2
9 0
.182
155
293
San Francisco
2
9 0
.182
239
293
Thursdays Game
New Orleans at Dallas, late
Sunday’s Games
L.A. Rams at Detroit, 1 p.m.
Carolina at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Arizona at Green Bay, 1 p.m.
Denver at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Baltimore at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Chicago at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
Cleveland at Houston, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Buffalo at Miami, 1 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Tennessee, 4:05 p.m.
Kansas City at Oakland, 4:05 p.m.
San Francisco at Seattle, 4:25 p.m.
Minnesota at New England, 4:25 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Pittsburgh, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Games
Washington at Philadelphia, 8:15 p.m.
Transactions
BASEBALL
American League
SEATTLE MARINERS — Acquired LHP Ricardo
Sanchez from Atlanta for cash considerations.
National League
CINCINNATI REDS — Claimed 0F-1B Jordan
Patterson off waivers from the New York Mets.
NEW YORK METS — Named Adam Guttridge
assistant general manager.
BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS — Traded G Kyle Korver
to Utah for G Alec Burks and second-round
draft picks in 2020 and 2021.
FOOTBALL
National Football League
ARIZONA CARDINALS — Re-signed 0L Will
Holden. Placed 0L Jeremy Vujnovich on injured
reserve. Signed DE Cameron Malveaux from
Miami’s practice squad. Released QB Charles
Kanoff
CINCINNATI BENGALS — Signed 0T Andre
Smith. Placed 0T Jake Fisher on injured
reserve.
Canadian Football League
OTTAWA REDBLACKS — Signed DB Antoine
Pruneau to a three-year extension.
Indoor Football League
HOCKEY
National Hockey League
ANAHEIM DUCKS — Waived F Ben Street.
ARIZONA COYOTES — Claimed G Calvin Pickard
off waivers from Philadelphia. Assigned F Mario
Kempe to Tucson (AHL).
CALGARY FLAMES — Assigned F Dillon Dube to
Stockton (AHL).
CAROLINA HURRICANES — Placed G Scott
Darling and F Valentin Zykov on waivers.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Recalled F Michael
McLeod from Binghamton (AHL).
NEW YORK ISLANDERS — Named Travis Wil
liams president of business operations.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS — Claimed F Jean-
Sebastien Dea off waivers from New Jersey.
ST. LOUIS BLUES — Waived F Nikita Soshnikov.
LACROSSE
Football/college
Top 25 schedule
Today’s games
No. 10 Washington vs. No. 17 Utah, Pac-12
championship at Santa Clara, Calif., 8 p.m.
Saturday’s games
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Georgia, SEC champi
onship at Atlanta, 4 p.m.
No. 2 Clemson vs. Pittsburgh, ACC champion
ship at Charlotte, N.C., 8 p.m.
No. 5 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Texas, Big 12 champi
onship at Arlington, Texas, Noon
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 21 Northwestern, Big
Ten championship at Indianapolis, 8 p.m.
No. 7 UCF vs. Memphis, AAC championship,
3:30 p.m.
No. 19 Boise State vs. No. 25 Fresno State,
MWC championship, 7:45 p.m.
No. 24 Iowa State vs. Drake, Noon
Basketball/college
Today’s games
EAST
Michigan St. at Rutgers, 6 p.m.
Niagara at St. Francis (Pa.), 7 p.m.
Delaware at Md.-Eastern Shore, 7 p.m.
Duquesne vs. Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh, Pa.,
7 p.m.
Wagner at American U., 7 p.m.
Vermont at Towson, 7 p.m.
SOUTH
Ohio University Chillcothe at Morehead St.,
11:05 a.m.
UMBC at N. Kentucky, 7 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at South Carolina, 7 p.m.
Appalachian St. at East Carolina, 7 p.m.
Colgate at South Florida, 8:30 p.m.
MIDWEST
Buffalo vs. Milwaukee at Belfast, 5:30 a.m.
Mississippi St. at Dayton, 7 p.m.
Wisconsin at Iowa, 8 p.m.
Oklahoma St. vs. Minnesota at Minneapolis,
Minn., 10 p.m.
SOUTHWEST
San Francisco vs. Stephen F. Austin at Belfast,
8 a.m.
Radford at Texas, 7 p.m.
Cent. Michigan atTCU, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s games
EAST
Louisville at Seton Hall, Noon
New Hampshire at Bryant, 1 p.m.
Mount St. Mary’s at Loyola (Md.), 1 p.m.
Fairfield at Army, 1 p.m.
Fairleigh Dickinson at Holy Cross, 1:05 p.m.
Arkansas St. at Lehigh, 2 p.m.
NJIT at Mass.-Lowell, 2 p.m.
Bucknell at Monmouth (NJ), 2 p.m.
Hartwick at Binghamton, 2 p.m.
Robert Morris at Drexel, 2 p.m.
Bowling Green at Hartford, 2 p.m.
Harvard at Siena, 3 p.m.
E. Michigan at Northeastern, 3 p.m.
Villanova at La Salle, 3 p.m.
Maine at St. Peter’s, 3 p.m.
Delaware St. at St. Bonaventure, 4 p.m.
Brown at Navy, 4 p.m.
George Washington at Princeton, 4 p.m.
Youngstown St. at West Virginia, 4 p.m.
Rhode Island at Providence, 5 p.m.
Temple at Saint Joseph’s, 5:30 p.m.
Fordham at Manhattan, 7 p.m.
Quinnipiac at Stony Brook, 7 p.m.
Cornell at Syracuse, 8 p.m.
SOUTH
St. John’s vs. Georgia Tech at Miami, Fla., Noon
Rust College at Alcorn St., Noon
UNC-Greensboro at Kentucky, 1 p.m.
CCSU at Virginia Tech, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville St. at North Alabama, 1 p.m.
Mercer at The Citadel, 1 p.m.
Tennessee Tech at Chattanooga, 2 p.m.
Louisiana-Monroe at Mississippi, 2 p.m.
Hofstra at Kennesaw St., 2 p.m.
E. Kentucky at High Point, 2 p.m.
Boston U. at Elon, 2 p.m.
Savannah St. at Gardner-Webb, 3 p.m.
VMI at Longwood, 3 p.m.
Regent University at Hampton, 4 p.m.
W. Carolina at Furman, 4 p.m.
TODAY ON TV
BASKETBALL
■ NBA: Hawks at Thunder, 8 p.m., Fox
Sports Southeast
■ NBA: Rockets at Spurs, 8 p.m., ESPN
■ NBA: Nuggets at Trail Blazers, 10:30
p.m., ESPN
FOOTBALL
■ MAC Championship: Northern
Illinois vs., Buffalo, 7 p.m., ESPN2
■ Pac-12 Championship: Washington
vs. Utah, 8 p.m., FOX
GOLF
■ European Tour: Mauritius Open, 3:30 a.m., GOLF
■ PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge, 1:30 p.m., GOLF
■ European Tour: Australian PGA Championship, 9:30 p.m., GOLF
HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD
Wysocki leads Flowery
Branch girls to 59-45 win
Led by Caroline Wysocki
with 15 points, Flowery
Branch topped previously
unbeaten Dawson County
59-45 for their first win of the
season Thursday.
Ashlee Locke and Ashley
Woodroffe both scored 11
points for the Lady Falcons
(1-3).
For Dawson County, Kay-
lee Sticker led the team with
12 points, followed by Sophia
D’Oliveira with 11. Also
chipping in for the Tigers
(3-1), Marlie Townley had 10
points.
Dawson County faces
Banks County at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday at the North Geor
gia High School Showcase in
Dahlonega.
GREATER ATLANTA
CHRISTIAN 106, CHERO
KEE BLUFF 83: Corey
Thomas finished with 18
points for the Bears (2-2) in
Flowery Branch on Thurs
day. Also in double digits,
Devon Wainer had 13 points,
while Griffin Neville and
Bosko Norman both added
12 each for Cherokee Bluff.
Cherokee Bluff hosts Riv
erside Military Academy at
6 p.m. tonight.
LANIER CHRISTIAN
ACADEMY BOYS 93,
WILLIAM AND REED 44:
Tommy Wandrum had a
team high 14 points for the
Lightning (6-1) on Thursday
in Johns Creek. Samuel Col
lins and Stephen MacLager
both had 13 points and hit
three of five 3-pointers.
Asher Weiner tallied 12
points for the win.
High school scores can be
reported by 10:30 p.m. each
night by calling 770-718-
3415 or email sports@
gainesvilletimes.com.
High school football
FCA East-West All-Star Football Classic
at Riverside Military Academy
Dec. 15
Team East
9 Jacob Bousquet
P
East Jackson
2 Hayden Killgore
K
Jefferson
3 Cody Dodge
DL
Banks County
4 Campbell Melson
LB
Lakeview
5 K.J. Millwood
WR/DB
Lakeview
6 Erik Madera
DB
Johnson
9 Carter Brandon
DL
Johnson
10 Conner Boyd
QB
Cherokee Bluff
12 Cambren Harrison
RB
East Hall
14 IssacTeasley
QB
Riverside Military
15 Cole Potts
WR/DB
Jefferson
16 Justin Murphy
WR
Cherokee Bluff
17 Zarian Brawner
RB/DB
Flowery Branch
20 Jacob Lehotsky
DB
Banks County
21 Zac Corbin
DB
Jefferson
22 Stephen Aleandre
DB
Riverside Military
23 Jordan Battles
DB
Riverside Military
33 Terrance Walker
RB
Banks County
40 Khalid Duke
LB
Riverside Military
42 Ethan Bruce
LB
Johnson
43 Zeke Velasquez
LB
Johnson
44 Harry Kim
LB
Riverside Military
72 Platinum Thompson
0L
Johnson
73 Matthew Porter
0L
Flowery Branch
74 Ian Echols
0L
Lakeview
76 Tucker Rothschild
0L
Flowery Branch
77 J.T. Middleton
0L
Jefferson
78 Colin Hatcher
0L
East Jackson
79 Carlos Zaragoza
0L
East Hall
80 Cody Lewallen
WR
Banks County
81 Teyvon Payton
0L
Riverside Military
82 Kylan Curry
WR
East Hall
83 Jack Dodson
DL
Flowery Branch
88 Anthony Mason
0L
Riverside Military
89 Sammy Elegreet
WR
Jefferson
91 Athyn Thurmond
DL
East Hall
92 Cody Inman
DL
Flowery Branch
93 Aidan Lorenz
DL
Flowery Branch
96 Ethan Nguyen
0L
Johnson
98 Ryan Godfrey
DL
Jefferon
99 Kyle Jones
LS
Coaches
Cherokee Bluff
Jason Roquemore
Johnson
Kenneth Czar
Cherokee Bluff
Ben Hall
Flowery Branch
Jeff Brumbelow
Flowery Branch
Jason Pleasant
Riverside Military
Scott Patrick
East Hall
Buster Davis
East Hall
Jacob Smith
Riverside Military
Tommy Jones
Cherokee Bluff
Kerry Kidd
Banks County
Justin Meyer
Jefferson
Bruce Miller
Lakeview
Jay Reid
Banks County
Mike Holland
Johnson
Team West
1 Erin Sanchez
K
North Hall
2 Chad Pittman
P
Jackson County
3 Dajuan Wood
DB
Commerce
4 Demarquez Brown
DB
Gainesville
5 Jeremiah Prather
DB
West Hall
6 Rassie Littlejohn
DB
Gainesville
9 Hunter Rainey
DL
West Hall
10 David Seavey
QB
North Hall
12 Darren Simpson
TE
Commerce
14 Quentin Smith
QB
West Hall
15 Eli Vincent
LB
Jackson County
16 Caleb Mason
DB
Commerce
17 Rayshun Dorsey
DE/LB
Jackson County
21 Quintavious Hayes
RB
Gainesville
22 Tommy Wandrum
DB
Lanier Christian
23 Len Hilbert
RB
Jackson County
33 Jay Lepkoske
RB
White County
40 Tanner Lumpkin
LB
Commerce
42 Nate Vincent
LB
Jackson County
43 John Stoecker
LB
West Hall
44 Elijah Pierce
LB
Jackson County
72 Will Hammerson
OL
White County
73 Levi Pate
OL
Commerce
74 LT Pecht
OL
Jackson County
76 Jonathan Fountain
OL
Jackson County
77 Matt Sinclair
OL
West Hall
78 Justin Wade
OL
Lanier Christian
79 Kyle Barrett
OL
Gainesville
80 Isaac Carney
WR
North Hall
81 Ediie Venegas
WR
Chestatee
82 Alec Hughes
TE
Lanier Christian
83 Cody Versluis
WR
White County
84 DeeJay Fleming
TE
White County
88 Dylan Hughes
OL
North Hall
89 Devin Williams
WR
West Hall
90 Justin Key
DL
Jackson County
91 Corey Dupree
DL
West Hall
92 Terrell Dixon
DL
Chestatee
93 Josh Hamilton
DL
Chestatee
96 Jared Geyer
DL
Commerce
98 Zymere Dukes
DL
Gainesville
99 Jackson Bartlett
DL
West Hall
Coaches
Shaun Conley
Chestatee
Krofton Montgomery
West Hall
Heath Webb
Gainesville
Chad Bennett
White County
Jake Conley
Chestatee
Logan Conley
Chestatee
Wyatt Burgess
White County
Travis Raley
West Hall
David Bishop
North Hall
Blake Anderson
Lanier Christian
Chuck Hudson
North Hall
Dan Prichard
North Hall
Associated Press
WOODALL
■ Continued from 1B
underachieving. The Fal
cons, Atlanta’s lone NFL
franchise, produced the
league’s Most Valuable
Player and were minutes
away from holding the Lom
bardi Trophy 2 years ago,
though, we all know how
that ended.
Yet we all keep coming
back. Our undying alle
giance to our teams is the
hope that, maybe, next year
will be the year.
As hard as it’s been for
Atlanta, the events to unfold
for this city’s newest fran
chise Thursday night may
have given patrons a sign
of new beginnings — a win
ning tradition to come.
Atlanta United FC sealed
a 3-1 aggregate victory
against the New York Red
Bulls to win the Eastern
Conference title on the
road, confirming a return
to Atlanta for the chance at
the ultimate prize.
As the many players
huddled on-stage in jubila
tion during the postgame
trophy presentation, con
fetti rained down on them
as they hoisted the club’s
very first conference title
emblem.
And they’re not done yet.
When the Five Stripes
take the field inside Mer
cedes-Benz Stadium on Dec.
8 to host the MLS Cup final,
it will be an opportunity for
the club to become the first
major sports franchise since
the 1995 Braves to win a
championship, thus ending
a long stigma of heartbreak
and blown chances.
This young fran
chise has shown
time and time again
that they have the
moxie to snap this
horrid curse once
and for all.
This season, the
farewell tour of
beloved team man
ager Tata Martino
so far has looked promising,
and against the league’s best
defensive club in the New
York Red Bulls, Atlanta
showed its true potential.
Entering the first leg of
the Eastern Conference
final, the Supporter’s Shield
winning Red Bulls had
conceded just 32 goals in 34
games played — the fewest
in the MLS.
Last Sunday night, New
York’s press had no answers
for the Five Stripes’ unre
lenting attack as Josef Mar
tinez (Golden Boot winner),
Franco Escobar
and substitute mid
fielder Tito Villalba
found the back of
the net in a domi
nant 3-0 victory at
home.
Atlanta’s second
goal off the counter
attack was a beauti
ful sequence and a
wonderful display of team
soccer.
Miguel Almiron threaded
a perfect through ball to fel
low midfielder Julian Gres-
sel, who redirected a cross
past a decoy Martinez and
found Escobar, who slotted
his shot in the upper net for
a 2-0 lead in the 71st minute.
Villalba’s dagger strike in
the fifth minute of stoppage
time was taken with such
conviction as the ball rolled
off his cleat and curled
just inside the post. In that
instance, it put New York in
a hole too deep to climb out
of for Leg 2.
On top of that, VAR — a
system rarely in favor of
Atlanta during the regular
season — waved off two
pivotal New York goals in
the series, something that
showed the momentum
was clearly on the side of
United.
Despite falling short in
the Supporter’s Shield race
in the regular season, the
Five Stripes are playing
arguably their best soc
cer at the most ideal time.
It could feel too good to
be true, but don’t
believe it.
Atlanta United
is showing an abil
ity to adapt while
exhibiting a fear
less, dominant
brand of soccer that
has produced two
clean sheets and
postseason goals
from five different
players.
On Thursday, their tactics
of playing smart against
a desperate New York
Club paid off, as Atlanta’s
defense held the Red Bulls
scoreless until the fourth
minute of stoppage time.
Tim Parker’s last-ditch,
punch-in goal for the Red
Bulls came right in front
of goal, but victory was
already ensured for the
visitors, still with a two-goal
advantage on aggregate.
And as the final minutes
ticked away during the final
stretch of regula
tion and stoppage
time Thursday, the
chants and drum
beats of the many
Atlanta fans to
make the trip that
filled the emptying
Red Bull Arena.
Leandro Gonzalez
Pirez, the uncon
tested man of the
match and seemingly every
where along Atlanta’s back
line throughout the match,
hopped and waved his arms
from side-to-side to entice
more chants from the sup
porting crowd in the upper
deck.
That’s what has been
behind them every step
of the way, a world-class
fanbase that continues to
feed the players with such a
passion and enthusiasm for
the game.
Last Sunday’s unveiling
of the 70,000-person tifo to
blanket the stands of Mer
cedes-Benz Stadium clearly
set the tone for an Atlanta-
dominated showing.
Fans on their feet, wav
ing their shining sheets of
gold, red and black in uni
son captivated the players
-- Miguel Almiron even smil
ing in wonderment on the
field pregame — and the
world on social media. The
echoing chants from the
supporter’s section and the
crowd of 70,016 — astonish
ingly less than the 70,526
which set a MLS postseason
record for attendance on
Nov. 11 — made the ESPN
broadcast all the more
entertaining.
Anticipate yet another
sellout crowd at the The
Benz next Saturday when
Atlanta takes on either
Sporting Kansas City, who
previously defeated United
2-0 in May, or the Portland
Timbers.
So get excited, Atlanta.
Mark your calendars.
This could very-well
be the turning point
— seriously!
Sarah Woodall is sports
reporter for The Times. She
can be reached at swoodall@
gainesvilletimes.com or @
Woodall8Sarah on Twitter.
Martino