ATLUTD2 Moves Closer to the Playoffs with 4-1 win Over Connecticut

Starting Lineup

Atlanta United 2 held its regular-season home match Tuesday afternoon with a 4-1 win over Connecticut United FC at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta. The first meeting between the clubs came with both teams caught in a crowded Eastern Conference playoff race. The victory moved Atlanta into third place and left it close to the first playoff berth in club history.

With the win, Atlanta can now clinch its first ever playoff berth by Wednesday night. It needs NYCFC II to draw, or a Huntsville shootout loss.

Only two of Atlanta’s four goals were scored by Atlanta players. Daniel Chica and Cameron Dunbar found the net. Connecticut defenders Michael Boamah and Lukas Kamrath each put a ball into their own goal. Barnabas Tanyi’s silly red card left the Coywolves with 10 players for most of the second half.

Atlanta led only 1-0 when Tanyi was sent off early in the second half. The Coywolves came close at 2-1 with 11 minutes remaining. Dunbar restored Atlanta’s two-goal lead. Then Kamrath’s stoppage-time own goal made the result look far more comfortable than it was.

1st Half

Of a practiced play, Santiago kicked off by sending the ball straight back to Jayden Hibbert. He sent the ball long, but the 2’s can’t control it and the ball went out for a Connecticut throw-in. The visitors tried to move the ball quickly towards Atlanta’s goal. ATLUTD2 stopped Connecticut’s first few attacks. When Atlanta moved the ball the other way, Robbie Mora fouled Cameron Dunbar and Steven Sserwadda brought down Enzo Dovlo.

Dylan Lacy pressed Matthew Senanou near Atlanta’s box and followed the return pass towards Hibbert. Atlanta moved the ball past him finding Cameron Dunbar, who carried it forward until Robbie Mora pulled him down. Connecticut soon won a free kick at the other end. Bryan Destin sent it straight to Hibbert. Steven Sserwadda then cut off Dunbar’s pass towards Santiago Pita, but gave the ball right back to Atlanta. This allowed Arif Kovac to send a ball to Pita inside the box. Lukas Kamrath moved across to block Pita’s shot.

Dominik Chong Qui ran down the left and drew a foul from Rickson Van Hees near the corner of the box. Andrew Jardines clipped the free kick towards an open Mohamed Cisset at the back post. Cisset headed the ball back into the middle, where the 6’ 2” Daniel Chica jumped over his mark. Chica directed his header towards goal. The ball deflected off Kamrath’s head and looped over Gunther Rankenburg to give Atlanta the lead in the 22nd minute.

The ref delayed the restart and directed Chica off the pitch to clean up some blood.

After the hydration break, Connecticut kept Atlanta inside its own third. Boamah sent Tanyi into the right side of the box, where Mohamed Cisset blocked his shot. Dylan Lacy delivered the resulting corner, and Connecticut soon forced another. Robbie Mora headed Lacy’s second delivery into Arif Kovac. Cameron Dunbar cleared the loose ball.

Late in the half, Rickson Van Hees brought Dunbar down from behind. Van Hees got a talking to but no card. Dunbar remained on the grass for a while holding his right leg bringing on medical staff. He finally returned to his feet with a grimace and had to leave the pitch. Pita sent the free kick from near the center circle into Connecticut’s box. Senanou had slipped away from two defenders and met the ball with a glancing header. He directed it down towards the bottom-left corner, but it bounced just outside the post.

With the four announced minutes of stoppage time already used, Andre Applewhaite sent a Connecticut cross into Atlanta’s box. Senanou headed it out for a corner. But Sobolevsky blew for halftime before the corner could be taken. Atlanta walked off leading 1-0.

2nd Half

Andre Applewhaite carried Connecticut forward from the restart and tried to send the ball across Atlanta’s goal face, which deflected out for a corner. Monis curled the ball into the box, where Hibbert rose through the crowd to collect.

An Atlanta turnover sent Monis forward against Cameron Dunbar. Monis reached the ball while challenging Dunbar from behind, and the Atlanta winger fell awkwardly. Dunbar remained on the grass for more than a minute while receiving treatment on his right leg. The crowd applauded as he walked off under his own power. MLS NEXT Pro’s injury-stoppage rule kept him on the sideline when play resumed, leaving Atlanta with 10 players until he was allowed to return.

Atlanta lost control of the ball in the 49th minute, and it bounced towards Dunbar. Alex Monis came from behind and had a beautiful slide tackle to strip the ball off Dunbar. It looked like a clean play, but Dunbar went to ground holding his leg. It was the same leg he needed treatment for late in the first half. He remained on the grass for a bit moments before walking off.

The game was getting more chippy as it went on. Andre Applewhaite received a yellow in the 53rd minute for a hard foul on Santiago Pita near the benches. After the yellow, Hibbert repeatedly passed the ball between his defenders while Connecticut chased. The visitors appeared increasingly frustrated. Tanyi and Senanou ran after a loose ball in the box. Tanyi roughly pulled at Senaou’s body and shirt. Sobolevsky blew his whistle for the foul. Tanyi kicked out as the whistle sounded and struck Senanou in the thigh. Sobolevsky ran over, reached into his back pocket, and showed Tanyi a straight red.

Atlanta crowded Connecticut’s box after the red. Pita’s shot deflected towards Chong Qui, who drove the ball back across goal. Kovac swung and missed from close range. Dunbar reached the loose ball, but Kamrath blocked it. Connecticut failed to clear, and Van Hees threw himself in front of Chong Qui’s final attempt. It was a bit chaotic.

In a surprising move, José Silva replaced Jayden Hibbert with Jonathan Ransom on the hour mark. Hibbert had made one save and left without conceding. Most of the goalkeeper change took place away from the broadcast camera. But as it was at the 60th, it was probably pre-planned.

Minutes later, Steven Sserwadda and Applewhaite collided head-to-head while trying to get a Ransom long ball. Applewhaite stayed on the turf, holding the back of his head, then came off. Connecticut’s 17-year-old academy captain Ayden Wolanski replaced him.

Atlanta doubled its lead soon after play resumed. Andrew Jardines sent a long pass down the right towards Enzo Dovlo. Two defenders closed around him, but Dovlo stopped and spun away from them. Pita charged into the box, and Dovlo rolled a left-footed pass across his path. Michael Boamah scuffed his attempted clearance, sending the ball past Gunther Rankenburg and into Connecticut’s net.

Silva replaced Jardines with Joshua Kwon in the 80th.

Daniel Chica found Enzo Dovlo near midfield. Dovlo carried the ball through the center and passed to Cameron Dunbar inside the box. Dunbar took two quick touches as a defender closed him down, then curled a right-footed shot around the defender and past Gunther Rankenburg. Atlanta led 3-1 in the 85th minute.

Dovlo fouled Jalen Ping near the touchline four minutes later and reacted angrily to the call. Sobolevsky showed him Atlanta’s second yellow.

Amir Henry entered the match during stoppage, and sent a cross into the box. The ball deflected to Dominik Chong Qui on the left. Chong Qui fell as he poked it across goal towards Arif Kovac. Lukas Kamrath stepped in front of the pass, but his attempted clearance went backwards into Connecticut’s net for a second own goal of the day.

Cauã Paixão struck the crossbar from outside the box and hit the crossbar. Sobolevsky blew the final whistle seconds later, and Atlanta left with a 4-1 win.

Closing Thoughts

Atlanta completed 90 percent of its passes and attempted 14 shots, with three were on target. Daniel Chica and Cameron Dunbar scored Atlanta’s two credited goals. Michael Boamah and Lukas Kamrath supplied the other two through own goals, ensuring the Atlanta win Connecticut had pulled one back at 2-1.

Dunbar’s finish gave him nine goals and 20 goal contributions this season. He has recorded a goal or assist in five consecutive matches, with three goals and four assists during that run.

Silva offered an even stronger assessment in a conversation relayed during the broadcast.

Silva also praised Dunbar’s ability to create something from nothing.

Dovlo gave Atlanta a persistent outlet on the right and created Dunbar’s goal. Chica scored Atlanta’s opening goal and received the secondary assist on Dunbar’s goal. Cisset contributed the header that set up Chica and put his body in front of Tanyi’s first-half attempt. Chong Qui defended the wide areas and helped create the final own goal.

The win moved Atlanta to 13-8-5 with 45 points and into third place in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta could clinch its first playoff appearance depending on the remaining results from the matchweek. Its last two regular-season matches will be away from home, beginning Sunday against Chattanooga FC and ending September 20 against Orlando City B.