Atlanta United Opens Mercedes-Benz Stadium With a 3–0 Win Over FC Dallas

Starting Lineup

Atlanta United had spent the majority of its inaugural season waiting for this afternoon.

Construction delays kept the club at Bobby Dodd Stadium through the summer and repeatedly pushed back the move into Mercedes-Benz Stadium. By the time the doors opened for soccer on September 10, Atlanta had already established its identity in a temporary home, packing a college football venue and turning its narrow stands into one of the loudest settings in Major League Soccer.

Supporters had overwhelmingly embraced soccer at Bobby Dodd, though the experience came with compromises. Summer matches brought Atlanta heat and humidity. Food options were limited. The field was narrow, and the concourses were crowded.

All of that changed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The building was enormous, and its scale created questions before Atlanta United ever kicked a ball there. Would the supporters’ roar carry through the cavernous interior? Would the food and concession options match what had been promised? Could the air conditioning keep more than 45,000 people comfortable beneath the closed roof?

The stadium delivered, and then some.

Atlanta entered the afternoon winless in four matches and still fighting for its place in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Dallas had gone seven matches without a victory after winning the Supporters’ Shield the previous season. The occasion belonged to the stadium, but the points mattered to both teams.

Josef Martínez placed the ball on the center spot, beneath the closed roof, and passed. Atlanta United’s first match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was underway.

1st Half

Carlos Gruezo brought down Miguel Almirón less than two minutes after kickoff and received the first yellow card of the day.

Atlanta released Josef Martínez behind the Dallas defense in the opening minutes. Jesse González came off his line and took Martínez down inside the penalty area, and referee Mark Geiger awarded a penalty while booking the goalkeeper. But the AR had raised his flag before the collision. After the officials conferred, Martínez was ruled offside and both the penalty and González’s yellow card were withdrawn.

Atlanta returned to the Dallas end and won a corner. ATLUTD took it short, leaving Almirón near the sideline with room to lift the ball into the box. Tito Villalba met it in front of two Dallas defenders and glanced his header across goal towards the back post. Leandro González Pírez slid behind the defense and redirected the ball past Jesse González from close range.

González Pírez had scored his first goal for Atlanta United and the first soccer goal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Atlanta continued attacking after taking the lead. Martínez beat González with one attempt, but Matt Hedges recovered towards the goal line and cleared the ball just before it crossed.

Yamil Asad lifted another shot towards the upper corner. González reached it and pushed the ball onto the crossbar, one of five saves the Dallas goalkeeper made during the opening 31 minutes.

Dallas applied pressure late in the half, but Brad Guzan kept the visitors scoreless. Atlanta carried its 1–0 lead into halftime after outshooting Dallas 12–5.

2nd Half

Dallas replaced the booked Carlos Gruezo with Víctor Ulloa at halftime and took the second-half kickoff. The visitors lost possession to Carlos Carmona inside their own half seconds later. Miguel Almirón collected the ball and accelerated down the left. He carried it towards the penalty area, nutmegged Hernán Grana and sent the ball across the six-yard box. Josef Martínez reached the back post and finished into the open net. 29 seconds after the restart, Atlanta led 2–0.

Dallas tried to respond, but the next goal came from another Atlanta move down the wing. Tito Villalba received the ball on the right and drove a low cross towards Martínez at the near post. Walker Zimmerman followed the striker across the six-yard box. Martínez let the ball run after hearing Greg Garza calling from behind. Garza arrived alone at the back post and tapped it past Jesse González in the 68th minute.

Dallas failed to break through during the remaining minutes. Brad Guzan preserved the clean sheet, and the final whistle confirmed Atlanta United’s 3–0 victory in its first match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Closing Thoughts

The victory began a stretch of six consecutive home matches that gives Atlanta an opportunity to strengthen its playoff position. Bobby Dodd Stadium had given Atlanta United an intimate and distinctive temporary home. Mercedes-Benz Stadium presented a different test, with more space, a larger crowd and questions about whether the atmosphere would carry inside the building.

The first match provided an answer. Atlanta United entered its permanent home, won 3–0 and showed that the atmosphere it had built at Bobby Dodd will survive the move.

The wait was over. Mercedes-Benz Stadium belonged to Atlanta United now.