MARIETTA, Ga. (July 31, 2026) - Atlanta United 2 drew 3-3 with Carolina Core FC on Friday at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta. Cameron Dunbar provided a goal and an assist, reaching 13 goal contributions on the season, and Gonzalo Riveras made his professional debut, but Atlanta fell 10-9 in the decisive penalty shootout.
Atlanta began proceedings early with a goal in the 4th minute, tied for its quickest of the season. Enzo Dovlo, who had dribbled into the box from the right wing, quickly cut to the goal line before squaring a central pass. Carolina midfielder David Diaz attempted to intercept the pass, but the ball deflected off his heel and into the path of Dunbar, who had time and space to finish into the top right corner of the net to give Atlanta the lead.
In the 19th minute, Atlanta doubled its lead. As Carolina attempted a clearance from its own goal line, Matthew Senanou outmuscled his marker to deflect the ball back into the attacking area. Picking up the ball centrally, Dunbar found Dominik Chong Qui just outside the box on the left side. With just one defender on him, Chong Qui accelerated forward into the box and fired a powerful left-footed shot that found the bottom right corner of the net to make it 2-0.
Carolina scored a penalty in the 38th minute. After a corner from the right side was whipped into the Atlanta box, Chong Qui pushed Carolina defender Charles Orbaugh down in an attempt to win the ball. The referee deemed the infraction enough to award a penalty and immediately pointed to the spot where, just one minute later, Arnaud Tattevin stepped up and fired the ball into the bottom right corner and past James Donaldson to reduce the deficit to one.
In the 44th minute, Atlanta re-established a two-goal advantage. While Senanou and Daniel Chica were passing around the back, Enzo Dovlo dropped deep to the midfield stripe to receive a pass on the right side. With a body feint, Dovlo skipped past his marker and dribbled down the entirety of the right wing before cutting past two defenders and into the right side of the box. Once in the box, Dovlo took another touch past Orbaugh to create space before firing a left-footed shot past the goalkeeper to make it 3-1.
Just one minute into stoppage time, Carolina scored through Tattevin again. Seeing Tattevin running down the left wing, Orbaugh played a long through ball to him from the Carolina defensive third. Arriving first to the pass ahead of Chica, Tattevin lofted the ball over him to create space before touching it down just inside the box and firing a long, curled effort that flew into the top right corner of the net.
To begin the second half, Tattevin completed his hat trick in the 50th minute. Carolina striker Nicholas Kaloukian, dribbling to the right corner flag, lofted a cross centrally that reached left back Ricks Ford at the top of the box. After a touch to control the pass, Ford played a sharp ground pass to Tattevin, who was standing just in front of goal to guide the ball past Donaldson before he could react, tying the match at three.
Atlanta had an opportunity to win the match in the 91st minute. Riveras played a ball down the right channel to Amir Henry, who was able to outrun his marker and get to it just outside of the box. Waiting for the central run of Patrick Weah, Henry played the ball across, but Weah was unable to set his feet just in front of goal, scuffing the ball wide to the left as the match ended level.
As the match entered penalties, each team scored their first nine. After Carolina scored its 10th, Henry, needing to equalize the shootout for Atlanta, had his shot saved, and Atlanta fell 10-9 in the longest penalty shootout in team history.
Atlanta United 2 (10-6-4, 34 points) returns to action Saturday, August 8, when it travels to Chattanooga to take on Chattanooga FC at Finley Stadium (7 p.m. ET, MLSNEXTPro.com, OneFootball App, Soccer Down Here).
