A brace from Jared Stroud was enough for DC United to outlast Atlanta United 3-3 (5-6 on penalties) in the Group Stage of Leagues Cup 2024.
The visitors opened the scoring inside five minutes after a terrible mistake from Josh Cohen. The former Maccabi Haifa player attempted to clear the ball out of his own box but it ended up going straight up into the air, as Dominique Badji reacted quickly to play a quick headed pass to Christian Benteke.
Benteke forced Cohen into yet another mistake, taking the ball up and over the 31-year-old before finding the back of an open net to score the first goal of Leagues Cup 2024.
However, the hosts would respond at the 20-minute mark. Brooks Lennon picked up a loose ball down the right-hand side after Saba Lobjanidze’s cross was blocked, and the former Real Salt Lake defender sent in a curling cross that Daniel Rios headed home to level the score.
Moments after bringing the game to level terms, Lennon — who set up Rios’ headed goal — became the next Atlanta defensive player to commit a grave error in the match. Lennon attempted to head the ball backward toward Cohen or another fellow defender, but it instead fell directly into Jared Stroud’s path. Stroud had a free run at goal and made no mistake, sending a shot across the face of goal to put DC back in front at 2-1.
Stroud would go on to add his second of the match just a few minutes later, stunning the fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta’s Stian Gregersen attempted to head a DC cross out of his box, but it fell to Stroud who took a quick touch before firing home a sizzling volleyed strike to make it 3-1.
After Stroud’s golazo, Lobjandize decided he would score an absolute peach of a goal himself to bring Atlanta back within one. The Georgia international picked up a loose ball on the left-hand side of DC’s penalty area before cutting inside on his right foot to send in a perfectly-placed strike that Bono couldn’t keep out.
The Five Stripes were awarded a penalty kick after DC’s Lucas Bartlett pulled down Rios inside his own penalty area. Referee Fernando Guerrero Ramirez confirmed the decision after finally going to the VAR monitor, but Bono stepped up to deny Bartosz Slisz from 12 yards out to keep the Black and Red in front 3-2.
Despite missing from the penalty spot, Atlanta would have another crack at after Jamal Thiare was taken down by Aaron Herrera. This time, Rios stepped up and hammered home the attempt to bring the score to 3-3 with less than 10 minutes…
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