Atlanta United Draws 2-2 vs. Philadelphia Union

April 14, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Atlanta United FC News Release

ATLANTA – Atlanta United played to a 2-2 draw against Philadelphia Union Sunday afternoon in front of 42,763 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Daniel Ríos and Caleb Wiley each scored in the second half to give Atlanta a comfortable lead, but Philadelphia fought back with a pair of goals in quick succession to split the points.

Both sides took time to settle into the match, with neither one producing a threatening chance in the first 45 minutes. Thiago Almada put a pair of shots on goal, while Alejandro Bedoya put Philadelphia’s lone shot on target, a comfortable save in the 32nd minute for Brad Guzan. Union goalkeeper Andre Blake was forced off just before halftime with an injury, and was replaced by Oliver Semmle.

Atlanta came out of the break firing and found the game’s first goal in the 55th minute. An attempted clearance by Philadelphia was collected by Wiley on the left wing and Atlanta worked the ball to the opposite side of the field. Almada sent a pass to Brooks Lennon on the right wing where the defender immediately played it back to Almada. The Argentine one-timed a ball to the back post where Ríos out-jumped his defender and headed it inside the right post for his first goal with the club.

Less than 10 minutes later, Wiley delivered a stunning strike from distance to double Atlanta’s lead. Edwin Mosquera dribbled toward the top of Philadelphia’s penalty area when a defender tackled it away. The ball rolled to a charging Wiley, who took one touch before unleashing a low shot from 30 yards into the bottom left corner.

Philadelphia nearly cut the lead in half just three minutes later through a Julian Carranza header off a corner, but Guzan made an impressive diving save on the line to keep Atlanta’s two-goal lead. In the 71st minute, Saba Lobjanidze cut in from the left wing and nearly picked out the top-right corner with a curling right-footed shot, but his attempt missed the post by inches.

Two minutes later, Philadelphia pulled one goal back. Mosquera attempted to play a back pass, but Mikael Uhre ran on to the loose ball and scored with a shot into the top left corner. The Union then leveled the match in the 77th minute. Philadelphia earned a throw-in on the near side which was put into the box. Wiley headed it toward the top of the 18, but Kai Wagner one-timed a looping shot just inside the penalty area into the top left corner.

Atlanta pushed for the match-winner and had two…