Atlanta United 2 Lets Two-Goal Lead Slip in Shootout Loss to Carolina Core

Starting Lineup

Atlanta United 2 had already watched a two-goal lead disappear when its night stretched into the longest penalty shootout in club history.

Cameron Dunbar scored and assisted, Enzo Dovlo produced a goal and an assist, and Dominik Chong Qui scored from left back. Carolina forward Arnaud Tattevin answered with a hat trick.

The first 19 pens went in. Defenders scored. Substitutes scored. Gonzalo Riveras scored on his professional debut. Seyi Fakiyesi entered in second-half stoppage time and converted minutes later.

Carolina Core defender Bryce Swinehart sent the visitors’ 10th penalty into the upper-right corner. Amir Henry followed for Atlanta, but Nolan Anderson went down and stopped his shot.

Atlanta settled for one point after a 3-3 draw Friday at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground, then lost the shootout 10-9. It was a difficult ending to a match Atlanta led 2-0 after 19 minutes and 3-1 shortly before halftime.

1st Half

Carolina Core pushed into Atlanta’s half from the opening kick and won a free kick near the right side of the penalty area inside the first two minutes. The free kick was off-target.

Minutes later, Dovlo received the ball on the right and carried it towards the end line. He cut a pass back through the penalty box, where David Díaz tried to intervene and redirected the ball into Dunbar’s path. The deflection left Dunbar with time and space in the center of the box, and he drove a right-footed finish into the upper-right corner. Atlanta scored on its first real entry into Carolina’s box.

The goal opened the field for Atlanta. Chong Qui pushed high from left back, Dovlo continued driving at Carolina from the right, and Ignacio Suarez-Couri found room behind Liam Butts. Atlanta won consecutive corners and kept the visitors moving from side to side.

Matthew Senanou outmuscled his marker to deflect Carolina’s attempted clearance back into the attacking area in the 19th minute. Dunbar collected it centrally and shifted the ball left to Chong Qui, who accelerated past the lone defender in front of him before driving a left-footed shot across Anderson into the bottom-right corner. Atlanta led 2-0, and Carolina’s back line had not found a way to stop either fullback from advancing.

Chong Qui found another opening in the 26th minute. A ball over Carolina’s back line left him running alone towards Anderson from the left, but the goalkeeper came off his line and blocked the shot.

Tristan Weber tested James Donaldson from distance in the 29th minute. Donaldson went down to his left and pushed the shot away, then dealt with the corner that followed as Carolina kept Atlanta pinned near its own box. Tattevin forced another save before the first hydration break as Carolina kept Atlanta pinned near its own box.

Carolina sent a corner into the box in the 37th minute. Chong Qui was called for pushing Charles Orbaugh as the two challenged for the ball. Referee William Hale awarded the penalty. Tattevin stepped forward and sent his penalty into the bottom-right corner. Donaldson went the other way. Atlanta’s lead was down to one.

Dovlo dropped deep to collect a pass from Atlanta’s back line in the 44th minute. He used a body feint to skip past his mark, then carried the ball down the right wing. Dovlo slowed, accelerated between two more defenders and cut inside before touching the ball past Orbaugh. He drove a left-footed shot beyond Anderson to restore Atlanta’s two-goal lead. Atlanta had restored its two-goal lead, 3-1.

Orbaugh collected the ball in Carolina’s defensive third during first-half stoppage time and sent a long pass past Atlanta’s backline’. Tattevin reached it first on the left, lifted the ball over Chica with one touch and brought it down inside the box. His next touch sent the ball over Donaldson and into the upper-right corner, cutting Atlanta’s lead to 3-2 just before halftime.

2nd Half

Carolina made three changes at halftime. Ricks Ford and Graham Ford replaced the two wingbacks, while Rashid Tetteh came on for center back Charles Orbaugh as Carolina shifted towards a back four.

Nicholas Kaloukian carried the ball towards the corner flag in the 50th minute and lifted a cross towards the arc. Ricks Ford controlled it and quickly sent the ball across goal. Tattevin was left open in front of Donaldson and guided a right-footed finish into the lower-right corner. He completed his hat trick, erasing Atlanta’s two-goal lead five minutes into the half.

Atlanta struggled to recreate the chances it found in the first half. Dunbar had a shot blocked near the hour mark, but Carolina cleared the danger and kept the match level.

Right winger Amir Henry replaced Dovlo in the 65th minute. He drove towards the box and had one attempt blocked, then sent another over the crossbar after Carolina failed to clear.

Patrick Weah and Adedamola Browne entered in the 73rd minute, replacing Butts and DD Sibrian. Gonzalo Riveras followed one minute later for Suarez-Couri, making his professional debut.

Weah fought through contact around Carolina’s penalty area and found two late chances. His first shot was blocked, and his header from the resulting pressure sailed over the crossbar.

Riveras created Atlanta’s final opening in the first minute of stoppage time. He released Henry into the right channel, and Henry outran his mark before sending a low ball across the face of goal. Weah arrived near the spot but could not set his feet, scuffing the shot wide of the left post.

The match ended 3-3 and went to penalties.

The Shootout

Ryan Baer scored Carolina’s opening attempt, and Mohamed Cisset answered for Atlanta. The shootout remained perfect through nine rounds, with Chong Qui, Weah, Riveras, Chica, Senanou, Fakiyesi, Browne and Andrew Jardines all converting for Atlanta. Carolina matched each one.

Swinehart sent Carolina’s 10th attempt into the upper-right corner. Henry stepped forward next, but Anderson guessed correctly and made the first save after 19 consecutive conversions.

Atlanta’s nine conversions were the most in team history, while the 20 attempts made it the longest shootout the club has played.

Closing Thoughts

Atlanta found three goals without Reef Kovac, whose 15 goals lead MLS NEXT Pro, and traveling with Atlanta United. Dunbar continued to carry more of the attacking load, moving to six goals and seven assists through 20 appearances. His 13 goal contributions are second on the team only to Kovac, while his seventh assist keeps him among the league leaders.

Dovlo’s five goal contributions do not fully reflect the danger he created from the right. His willingness to carry the ball at defenders gave Atlanta a direct option when Carolina’s shape began to tighten, and his confidence on the ball stood out throughout the first half.

Chong Qui produced one of his most active attacking performances of the season, but the match also exposed the risk that comes with how aggressively he advances from left back. He remains an important part of Atlanta’s buildup, though his defensive decisions continue to shape matches at both ends.

Gonzalo Riveras made his professional debut in a tied match, helped create Atlanta’s best late chance and converted in the shootout. He looked like he belonged out there.

Atlanta has now scored 44 goals through 20 matches. The attack has enough variety to function without its leading scorer, but the margin for error remains small when the team cannot protect a lead.

Atlanta United 2 leaves the match at 10-6-4 with 34 points.