Atlanta United 2 wins shootout 5-4 over Inter Miami CF II

Starting Lineup

Atlanta United 2’s pursuit of the first playoff appearance in team history continued Friday night against Inter Miami CF II at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Atlanta held seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 40 points, one more than eighth-place NYCFC II. Miami’s were already eliminated, leaving the last-place Herons with an opportunity to disrupt someone else’s season.

Two consecutive victories had strengthened Atlanta’s position, including a 5-1 win over Orlando City B six days earlier. Head coach Jose Silva could only watch from the stands after receiving a suspension for yellow card accumulation. Assistant coach Will Bates managed the team in his place.

Atlanta pushed towards Miami’s goal throughout the first half without finding a finish. Miami then cleared an Atlanta free kick in the final moments before halftime and scored on the ensuing counterattack. Patrick Weah pulled Atlanta level in the 78’. Jonathan Ransom later saved two penalties before Daniel Chica completed a 5-4 shootout victory.

1st Half

Cameron Dunbar tested Matias Marin less than 15 seconds after kickoff. Arif Kovac laid the ball into his path outside the box, and Dunbar’s rising shot forced Marin into a two-handed save.

Miami answered soon afterward. Rondell White lifted a free kick into the right side of Atlanta’s box, where Mateo Saja pulled Matthew Senanou away from the middle. Saja slipped the ball to an open Diego Rey, but his first-time shot curled outside the near post.

Atlanta moved the ball back towards Dunbar and began surrounding Miami’s penalty area. His crosses found Daniel Chica and twice reached Senanou, but all three headers missed the goal. Atlanta kept winning corners and returning the ball to the box without being able to put the ball on target.

Senanou sent a long pass to Dominik Chong Qui, who brought it down and exchanged the ball with Dunbar. Chong Qui drove between two Miami defenders, shifted the ball onto his left foot as a third approached and curled his shot just outside the far post.

Miami threatened again in the 37th off a corner. The inbound ball traveled across the penalty area to Rondell White. He shot through a crowd in front of goal, but Ransom dropped to the ground and held the ball.

Dunbar had a shot blocked as Atlanta remained around Miami’s penalty area during stoppage. The Five Stripes followed with two corners, but Miami cleared the second. Vorenkamp played the ball ahead of Zeltzer-Zubida, who ran onto it with only D.D. Sibrian between him and Atlanta’s goal. Sibrian retreated as Zeltzer-Zubida carried the ball almost the length of the pitch. The Miami winger slowed to allow teammates to join him, entered the box from the left and cut onto his right. He took a shot through the players moving in front of goal, paritally blocking Ransom’s view, and into the bottom-right corner.

Atlanta had taken eight shots and earned six corners, but Marin’s only save had come in the opening seconds. They spend the half around Miami’s penalty area, but walked into the locker room trailing 1-0.

2nd Half

Miami carried its pressure into the second half. A cross bounced loose near Rondell White, but Ransom dropped onto the ball. He came off his line to catch another delivery moments later. Dunbar attempted a free kick at the opposite end, but couldn’t get past the wall.

Bates made his first change in the 56th minute, bringing Riveras’s first professional start to and end. He was replaced by fellow 16-year-old Academy player Oluwaseyitan Fakiyesi.

Santiago Pita produced Atlanta’s first dangerous chance of the half. He turned away from pressure near the right touchline and drove towards Miami’s box. He used a ball roll and body feint to get around one defender, then cut inside another. Pita struck a hard, low shot with his left foot, but it passed just outside the far post.

Miami nearly doubled its lead after Pita’s miss. Saja played the ball into the right side of the box for Vorenkamp, whose shot was saved. Ransom could not hold it. Rey attempted an overhead kick which went wide.

Bates replaced Pita with Patrick Weah in the 67th minute. Fakiyesi found Weah inside the box two minutes later, but he pulled his first shot wide. Dunbar followed with another attempt across goal.

Atlanta equalized in the 78th minute when Dunbar received the ball on the right wing. A quick fake gave him room to move past Sloan Morrison. He carried the ball into the box, reached the goal line and played a low pass across goal about a foot in front of goal. Weah met the ball at the near post and knocked it into the net.

Miami nearly reclaimed the lead when Rey shot from outside the box, but Ransom made another save. Joshua Kwon then won the ball for Atlanta and moved it to Weah. Weah passed a through ball to Dunbar, who carried it into the box with Kovac close. Dunbar drew the two remaining defenders and passed across to Kovac near the penalty spot. Kovac struck the ball past Marin, but it crashed against the crossbar and dropped back into play.

Weah headed narrowly wide as Atlanta continued searching for a winner. The final minutes became disjointed as players began going down with cramps and tired legs in the South Florida heat. Weah pulled one final shot outside the post before the final whistle sent the match to penalties.

Penalty Shootout

Marin saved Kovac’s opening attempt to give Miami the early advantage. Zeltzer-Zubida then sent Miami’s next penalty over the crossbar, and Ransom denied Rey. Atlanta moved ahead and had an opportunity to finish the shootout after five rounds, but Marin pushed Weah’s shot away.

Jena and Senanou converted during the first found of sudden-death. Ransom stretched to his left and stopped Adeclat’s attempt. Chica walked to the spot and drove the ball into the top-right corner, securing Atlanta’s first shootout victory of the season.

Closing Thoughts

Atlanta led MLS NEXT Pro in shots and shots on target before Friday. The Five Stripes added 17 attempts against Miami, but only Dunbar’s opening shot and Weah’s goal were on target.

Miami repeatedly crowded Kovac, sometimes marking the league’s leading scorer with three defenders. He finished without a shot on target. Dunbar continued finding the players around him and delivered the final pass before eight Atlanta shots, setting a new club record for key passes in a match. His assist for Weah raised his season total to league-leading 11.

Weah’s goal was only his second of an injury-disrupted season, but both have come within the past six days. He led ATLUTD2 with nine goals in 2025 and won MLS NEXT Pro Goal of the Year before preseason injuries delayed his return until April. Silva told the broadcast crew that Weah had only recently begun feeling like his former self. He has now scored in consecutive matches.

Riveras made his professional debut July 31, recorded his first assist against Orlando and received his first start less than a month later.

NYCFC II’s 2-0 loss to Toronto earlier Friday combined with Atlanta’s two points to open a three-point cushion above the playoff line. Atlanta has three matches remaining and controls its position with 42 points.

Atlanta returns home September 8 to face CT United FC at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground.