Atlanta United Players Adjust To Open Roof At M-B Stadium

Atlanta United played under an open roof at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for just the second time Saturday for their match against the Union, and while it was "aesthetically pleasing, it was a typical June day in Atlanta: hot and muggy," according to Alec McQuade of Atlanta-based WXIA-NBC. The open roof made for "different conditions for Atlanta than what they are typically used to." Atlanta United D Michael Parkhurst said, "It was really hot. It was really humid. Usually, we don’t have to worry about that. It’s cool when you look up, but other than that, we sweat a lot more.” But Atlanta United MF Julian Gressel said that the open roof "didn't affect the crowd noise levels." He noted the atmosphere was "still great," and it was "not any" more quiet. McQuade noted while the roof "had to stay open on Saturday, it's likely officials would have decided to close it because of the humidity ... if they had the option" (11ALIVE.com, 6/3).