Atlanta United 2 Runs Out of Road in Columbus

Starting Lineup

Historic Crew Stadium gives Atlanta United 2 a dry, open-air Sunday evening in Columbus. No rain. No roof. No floodlights. Just a summer field, an old MLS landmark, and a match that starts with Atlanta standing over a free kick seven seconds after kickoff.

For a moment, the night leans toward Atlanta. Tablante hits the top of the crossbar with his left foot, Suarez-Couri has the rebound blocked, and Columbus has to survive the first real touch of danger. Six minutes later, the match belongs to Columbus. Five minutes after that, Atlanta is down two goals and chasing a game that never fully comes back.

Kovac brings Atlanta within one before halftime. Adams pushes Columbus back in front by two in the 63rd minute. Dunbar scores in the 82nd to give Atlanta a final push, but Columbus keeps enough of the ball late to close out a 3-2 win.

1st Half

Seven seconds in, Atlanta is already standing over a free kick just outside the Columbus box. Ransom’s kick forward forces Di Noto into a foul on Kovac, and Tablante and Suarez-Couri both walk to the ball with a chance to put the first shot of the night on Lapkes.

Suarez-Couri starts over the ball, then peels away. Tablante takes it with his left foot and sends the shot into the top of the crossbar. The ball comes back into play, Suarez-Couri gets to the rebound, and Columbus blocks the follow-up.

Columbus answers in the 6th minute from its own defensive third. Presthus receives the ball near the right sideline and sends a lofted pass downfield. Adams tries to head it down after the bounce, but the ball carries over him and into Gbamblé’s path. Gbamblé runs into open space in the Atlanta half and beats Ransom at the near post.

Columbus builds through Presthus and Gbamblé again five minutes later. Presthus plays forward to Gbamblé on the right wing, and Gbamblé carries inside past Majub. Once he reaches the box, he squares the ball across goal for Zengue, who finishes at the back post to make it 2-0.

In the 31st minute, Suarez-Couri links with Tablante outside the box on the right wing and lifts a cross toward Kovac at the back post. Kovac gets free between two markers and heads past Lapkes for his 10th goal of the season, pulling Atlanta within 2-1.

Columbus takes a 2-1 lead into halftime. Atlanta creates the first danger through Tablante’s free kick and answers through Kovac’s header, but Columbus scores twice in the opening 11 minutes and keeps the lead.

2nd Half

Atlanta stays within one goal coming out of halftime and gets the first set-piece look of the half in the 48th minute. Gill sends a corner in from the left, Majub is able to reach it inside the box, but misses right.

Columbus answers with two chances on target. In the 51st minute, Gbamblé plays Zengue into the right side of the box, and Ransom saves the right-footed shot. A minute later, Presthus finds Gbamblé in the center of the box, which Ransom again saves.

Dunbar replaces Suarez-Couri in the 58th minute. Two minutes later, Gill finds him in the box, but Quinton Elliot blocks the right-footed shot.

In the 63rd, Karumanchi dispossesses Tablante in the Columbus half and sends Adams through down the left. Ransom comes out, Senanou recovers to pressure the play, and Adams keeps his balance. He dribbles around both players and finishes into an open net for a 3-1 Columbus lead.

Pita replaces Dovlo in the 70th minute, and Liam Butts replaces Kovac. Columbus makes three changes at the same time, with Johann Chirinos replacing Moses Nyeman, Brent Adu-Gyamfi replacing Presthus, and Oneal Taylor replacing Zengue.

In the 74th minute, Tablante plays Dunbar into another shooting chance. Dunbar takes it with his left foot from outside the box, but misses high.

The next few minutes are mostly starts and stops. Adams goes into the book in the 75th minute, Pita follows in the 76th, and Tablante sends in an Atlanta corner in the 77th. Columbus takes Adams off for Immanuel Ewing in the 78th, and Dunbar is booked in the 79th after a foul on Di Noto.

In the 82nd minute, Pita dribbles past three defenders on the right flank and carries the ball inside. He switches play to Dunbar in space on the left, and Dunbar drives into the box. The finish goes left-footed across Lapkes and into the bottom-right corner, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Silva is shown a yellow card in the 83rd minute. Chong Qui helps create another Dunbar chance in the 85th, but Dunbar’s right-footed shot from inside the box misses to the right.

Columbus wins a corner in the 89th minute and another in the 93rd, using the final stretch near Atlanta’s end of the field. The whistle comes in the 94th minute with Columbus winning 3-2.

Closing Thoughts

Atlanta leaves with enough attacking volume to make the result sting. It takes 14 shots, puts five on target, wins five corners, and completes 83 percent of its passes. Columbus takes 10 shots, puts the same five on target, and finishes with two corners.

The difference is where the best moments fall. Columbus gets behind Atlanta twice in the opening 11 minutes and turns both attacks into goals. Atlanta answers through Kovac, pushes the game back within reach, and still has to chase after Adams makes it 3-1 in the 63rd minute. Dunbar’s goal in the 82nd gives Atlanta a final chance at the match, but Columbus protects the last goal it needs.

Kovac’s header is his 10th goal of the season and keeps him atop MLS NEXT Pro. Suarez-Couri records his fourth assist of the season, giving him the team lead. Pita has an assist for the second straight match, and Dunbar’s finish is his fifth goal of the season and the 30th professional goal of his career.

Atlanta United 2 leaves Columbus at 7-4-3 with 23 points. The next match comes Saturday, June 27, when Atlanta returns home to face Crown Legacy FC at Turner Soccer Complex.