Atlanta United Comes from Behind to Defeat D.C. United 3-2

August 28, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Atlanta United FC News Release

ATLANTA – Atlanta United defeated D.C. United in front of 42,561 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon. A frantic, back-and-forth second half highlighted the match, as Atlanta battled back from a deficit twice to secure three crucial points. The win was Atlanta’s first come-from-behind win of the season and moved the club within three points of the playoff line.

A cagey 45 minutes opened the matchup between the two teams but it was Atlanta who possessed the upper hand. The hosts outshot D.C. 11-3 and all three of the first half’s shots on target belonged to Atlanta.

The pace picked up quickly at the beginning of the second half, leading to D.C. opening the scoring through Ravel Morrison in the 47th minute. A cross into the box was headed out by an Atlanta defender to the Jamaican international, who chested the ball down and volleyed past a diving Rocco Ríos Novo.

Alan Franco quickly found an answer for Atlanta in the 49th minute, scoring his first Atlanta United goal by nodding in a header on a Thiago Almada corner. It was the Argentinian defender’s first goal since July 13, 2017, a match in which he scored for Atlético Independiente in the Copa Sudamericana.

Ola Kamara, who earlier substituted on for an injured Taxi Fountas, re-established a lead for the visitors in the 55th minute. Andy Najar cut a pass back from the byline for a first-time cross from Chris Durkin, who found the head of Kamara. The Norwegian finished the chance from close range.

Josef Martínez was introduced in the 60th minute and it only took him two minutes to level the scoreline. The Venezuelan found himself in a pocket of space on the edge of David Ochoa’s six-yard box. Brooks Lennon floated a cross into the box, which Martínez leapt to and drove into the D.C. net in the 62nd minute.

Juanjo Purata scored an important goal for the second match in a row in the 69th minute. Lennon was the recipient of an Almada switch of play on the left side and sent a ball to the back post. The defender made no mistake with his header, the third headed goal of the night for Atlanta. The 3-2 victory marks the first time in Atlanta United history that the team has scored three headed goals in one match.

Atlanta (8-10-9, 33 points) travels to Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania to take on Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, Aug. 31 (7:00 p.m., FS1, FOX Deportes, Sports Radio 92-9 The Game, La Mejor).

MATCH INFO