HIGH POINT, N.C. (May 2, 2026) - Atlanta United 2 earned a 2-1 win over Carolina Core FC on Saturday at Truist Point Stadium in High Point to win its third consecutive match. Cameron Dunbar led the way with a brace and has now scored in three consecutive matches.
The match began with the home side on the front foot. In the ninth minute, Carolina center forward Arnaud Tattevin slipped in teammate Ricardo Montenegro, who was one-on-one with Jonathan Ransom on the right side of the box. However, Ransom was able to close down the attacker and come up with an important early save.
In the 29th minute of a cagey match, Atlanta opened the scoring. Dribbling down the right wing, Ignacio Suarez-Couri found the parallel run of Dunbar, taking advantage of a two-on-two. Dunbar, who was sprinting ahead of the trailing defender, calmly slotted the cross into the bottom left corner of the net with a first-time finish.
In the 40th minute, Dominik Chong Qui nearly scored on a solo run. After receiving a pass from Suarez-Couri in the middle of the pitch, Chong Qui took off toward goal, using quick feet to beat three Carolina defenders in the process. Upon reaching the penalty area, Chong Qui struck the ball with his left foot, but Carolina keeper Nicholas Holliday narrowly got down for the save at his near post.
In the final minute of first-half stoppage time, Atlanta scored its second goal. Adrian Gill picked up the ball in the Carolina half and beat his marker with a lofted touch before finding Chong Qui running down the left wing. Just outside of the box, Chong Qui sent a bouncing cross centrally to Dunbar, who took a touch to control it, then finished with his left foot between two defenders to double the 5-Stripes' lead.
Carolina pulled a goal back in the second half. In the 57th minute, Carolina forward Anthony Sumo Jr. entered the left side of the box and set up for a shot. Striking the ball with his left foot, Sumo Jr.’s curled effort found the upper left corner of Ransom’s net.
In the 77th minute, Matthew Senanou made a last-ditch tackle to protect the Atlanta lead. Carolina striker Khalid Balogun found himself on the receiving end of a through ball played by Tattevin, allowing him to run in behind the Atlanta defense. With Balogun moments away from a shot, Senanou wrapped his leg around Balogun from behind, poking the ball off his toes and preventing an attempt.
Atlanta, holding on to a narrow lead, dug in and defended for much of the final 13 minutes. In the 94th minute, Carolina whipped a free kick into the Atlanta box, and the ball fell into a scramble of feet in front of Ransom’s goal. However, Atlanta reacted quickly, clearing the ball and dealing with the subsequent attempts to finalize a 2-1 victory.
Atlanta United 2 (5-2-1, 16 points) returns to action Sunday, May 10, when it returns to Athens to face Orlando City B at Turner Soccer Complex (7 p.m. ET, MLSNEXTPro.com, OneFootball App, Soccer Down Here).
