New York City Fc vs Atlanta United Picks and Predictions June 12th 2025

NYCFC Faces Atlanta United Without Key Goalkeeper Matt Freese

Both New York City FC and Atlanta United return from a two-week layoff looking to shake off any rust in Thursday’s Eastern Conference clash at Yankee Stadium.

New York, currently sitting at 7-6-4 (25 points), will aim to maintain its strong home form, having won six of its nine matches (6-3-0) at Yankee Stadium or Citi Field. However, the hosts will be without standout goalkeeper Matt Freese, who is away with the U.S. national team competing in the Concacaf Gold Cup.

“We have a roster where we believe we can replace the guys missing through international duty,” New York head coach Pascal Jansen said. “All the focus, once we finished Nashville, went into preparing the group that will play — building chemistry and cohesion with the players who will now have to start or come on as substitutes. Goalkeeper is obviously a big piece, with Tomas Romero in instead of Matt Freese.”

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NYCFC Confident Despite Key Absence

Freese, who has recorded six clean sheets this season, will be replaced by 24-year-old Tomas Romero. Romero is set to make his NYCFC debut, bringing previous MLS experience from his time with Los Angeles FC and Toronto.

New York is coming off a 2-2 draw against Nashville SC on May 31 and will be eager to avenge a thrilling 4-3 loss to Atlanta United earlier this season on March 29.

Atlanta Looking to Climb the Table

Atlanta (4-8-5, 17 points) also returns to action after a two-week break, having suffered a 2-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls in its last outing. That loss halted Atlanta’s first two-game winning streak of the year and marked the club’s seventh shutout defeat of the season.

Adding extra intrigue to the matchup, Atlanta head coach Ronny Deila returns to face his former club. Deila guided NYCFC to an MLS Cup title in 2021 and compiled a 46-29-15 record during his tenure from 2020-22.

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“We have to put everything in there now to really finish this spring in a good way,” Deila said. “It’s a huge game and something we look forward to doing.”

Key Players to Watch

Atlanta is striving to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement, where it currently sits just above Toronto and CF Montreal. Emmanuel Latte Lath leads Atlanta with five goals this season, followed by Miguel Almiron and Jamal Thiare with three apiece.

NYCFC will lean on its attacking depth and strong home form to overcome the absence of Freese and secure another important result.

As the Eastern Conference playoff race intensifies, fans and bettors alike can find added value by checking out the latest Soccer picks and predictions to stay informed on this crucial clash.

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