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A late Hector Villalba goal gave Atlanta a 2-1 win in its Carolina Challenge Cup finale.
ATLUTD Ends Preseason With Charleston Win
Starting Lineup
Columbus Crew had already won the Carolina Challenge Cup before Atlanta United kicked off Saturday night against Charleston Battery. The possibility of a trophy was gone before the match began.
That completely changed how Tata Martino would handle Atlanta’s final preseason game. Atlanta started a rotated group against its USL affiliate, with Kyle Reynish in goal, Andrew Carleton in the attack, and Miguel Almirón, Hector Villalba, Michael Parkhurst and Jeff Larentowicz all starting on the bench.
1st Half
Atlanta scored four minutes into the match. Mikey Ambrose crossed from the left, and Yamil Asad headed the ball past Odisnel Cooper to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead.
Charleston had its first clear chance in the 15th. Romario Williams got to a rebound inside the penalty area and sent a half-volley wide.
Williams brought Charleston level just before halftime. O’Brian Woodbine found him moving toward Atlanta’s back line, and Williams carried the ball through pressure before hitting a low shot past Reynish and into the bottom corner.
Atlanta went into halftime tied 1-1 after scoring early and giving up the equalizer late in the half.
2nd Half
Martino made two changes at halftime. Harrison Heath replaced Julian Gressel, and Brandon Vazquez replaced Asad.
Charleston created the better early chance of the second half in the 56th minute. Woodbine crossed from the left, and Williams put his chance over the bar.
The match opened up through the subs. Charleston changed most of its front group and midfield between the 58th and 66th minutes. Atlanta brought on Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu in the 62nd, then added Parkhurst, Larentowicz, Almirón and Villalba in the final 10 minutes.
In Stoppage, Wheeler-Omiunu sent a cross into the box, Villalba brought it down, and he finished past Devin Perales for the 2-1 win.
Closing Thoughts
The Carolina Challenge Cup ended with Columbus on top and Atlanta in second. Atlanta’s three matches in Charleston produced a loss to Columbus, wins over Seattle and Charleston, and one final look at the roster before the games started counting.
The next result will count. Its first MLS match is on March 5 against New York Red Bulls.