Atlanta United 2 returns to Fifth Third Stadium for a Monday night battle with Philadelphia Union II on April 15. The match is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed on MLSNEXTPro.com, while fans can also tune in to the Soccer Down Here audio stream.
Tickets to the match can be found here.
Last Time Out
ATL UTD 2 is coming off a 4-0 victory over independent club Carolina Core FC on March 24. Midfielder Luke Brennan led the charge for Atlanta, snagging a first half brace after scoring in the 24th and 26th minute of the match. Shortly after Brennan secured his brace, midfielder Javier Armas recorded his second goal of the 2024 campaign after masterfully placing a free kick attempt to the right side of goal in the 33rd minute. Forward Karim Tmimi capped off the scoring in the 78th minute after Academy forward Stephen Hurlock cut in to the box and laid off a pass for the French international to slot away. John Berner and the Atlanta defense also kept its first clean sheet of the year and first since June 2023.
Previous Meeting
Atlanta United 2 currently holds a 1-1-0 (W-L-D) record against Philadelphia Union II. The last matchup between the two sides resulted in a narrow 1-0 loss for Atlanta at Subaru Park on June 9, 2023. The two sides struggled to find any chances offensively in the first half before Union II broke through in the 57th minute off a strike from Christopher Olney. ATL UTD 2 had a late chance to knot up the scoreline but Nick Firmino’s chance in the 87th minute went just over the crossbar.
Cooke in the Kitchen
Head coach Steve Cooke returns for his second year on the sideline after coaching his squad to a 9-13-6 (W-L-D, 33 points) record in 2023. In their first season at the helm, Cooke and his staff helped develop multiple talents that now appear on Atlanta United’s First Team squad, including Nick Firmino, who was named to the MLS NEXT Pro Best XI after finishing with a single-season club record 16 goals while his combined 22 goals and assists tied him for second in MLS NEXT Pro. Last year’s roster also featured Homegrown talents Luke Brennan, Noah Cobb, Efraín Morales and Adyn Torres, all of which currently have a contract with Atlanta United’s First Team.
