Atlanta United 2 George Bello delivers a corner kick against the Charlotte Independence.
Atlanta United 2 earn a road draw
In the first road match in club history, Atlanta United 2 earned a point with a 2-2 draw against Charlotte Independence. The match included goals that involved two of the Atlanta United MLS Homegrown Players and an exciting back-and-forth match in which ATL UTD 2 could have come home with all three points.
ATL UTD 2 head coach Scott Donnelly said after the match, “We’re ultimately disappointed not to get a win when I think we could have taken all three points.” He was encouraged by the team’s performance and went on to say, “I’m proud of both the performance and the effort against a talented and experienced Charlotte team. We talked this week about being true to our playing identity, and I think we largely did that, and were effective doing that.”
Scoring
The first goal was marked as an own goal in the 28th minute against Charlotte’s Jung-Soo Lee. It was possible due to the hard work and pressing from Atlanta United 2. George Bello corralled a back pass and started the attack by serving a crisp pass to Chris Goslin near midfield. Then Goslin immediately one-touched a pass to a streaking Jose Carranza up the left sideline, where he then played Bello on toward goal. Bello finished his run to the box, and his shot attempt was partially blocked by Lee before going into the back of the net.
Great team work and passing from the future of @atlutd with @_georgebello & @chrisgoslin17 Wonderful play from @atlutd2 list night. pic.twitter.com/DyCIGWWmGI
— Jason Bell (@jason_a_bell) April 1, 2018
Charlotte pulled even with an equalizer less that nine minute later in the 37th minute. Veteran Charlotte midfielder Jorge Herrera took a pass from Caleb Calvert near the edge of the 18, and with a clean strike buried it in the lower left corner of the goal, past a diving ATL UTD 2 goalkeeper Paul Christensen.
Herrera with the perfect placement to draw @CLTIndependence level ? #CLTvATL #USL pic.twitter.com/v3xhbMVu0L
— USL (@USL) March 31, 2018
Atlanta United 2 midfielder Lagos Kunga scored his first career goal in the 82nd minute. Kunga started near the corner flag, maneuvered through a pair of Charlotte defenders, and ended up hugging the end line. From there he used his pace to step past a third defender and fired a rocket through the legs of goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra. It was a sensational bit of skill and determination.
No stopping this guy!! @LAGOSKUNGA , 2016 USL Experience attendee, scores his first goal for @atlutd2 #CLTvATL pic.twitter.com/6crRYjggag
— USL (@USL) April 1, 2018
The lead did not last long. Charlotte’s Jorge Herrera equalized three minutes later on a beautiful cross that he was able to just squeeze past keeper Christensen.
Personnel Details
Atlanta United 2 featured a young starting lineup with an average age of 20.8 years old. Atlanta United Academy products and MLS Homegrown Player George Bello and Lagos Kunga had big nights. Bello and recently drafted, goal keeper Paul Christensen made there professional debuts: Bello at 16 years of age and Christensen, only 21-years-old. Kunga scored his first career goal with a remarkable individual effort and an impressive start to his professional career.
ATL UTD 2 coach Donnelly spoke to Bello’s overall performance, “He’s 16 years old but plays beyond his years. While there’s certainly lessons to be learned for him from each game he plays, we have no hesitation putting him on the field and trusting him for 90 minutes. He’s talented, wants to learn, and improves each week.”
Donnelly also had high praise for the performance from Kunga, “I said to Lagos before the game that this was a game for him to go after, and I think he did that. He found more and more touches as the game went on, and if he gets the ball in the right areas, we know he can produce goals and points. For sure an excellent and timely goal, and I’m happy with how he stepped up in that moment.”
Up Next
Atlanta United 2 returns to action at home in Coolray Field, on Sunday, April 8 against Penn FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
