Atlanta United Unified took the pitch at BMO Field in Toronto Saturday morning having already made history. The squad became the first MLS Unified team to travel internationally for a match in the league's 12-year history.
They also made headlines for this season, earning their first win of the 2025 campaign in an action-packed 5-3 win over Toronto FC Unified Saturday morning at BMO Field. Xavier Hairston had a hattrick to cap off a remarkable 60 minutes from the 5-Stripes and continue Unified's unbeaten streak.
As both teams processed out onto the pitch, they stood for both national anthems in a moment that felt larger than just sport. Inclusion throughout North America was on full display. Traveling 17s kicked off the match with a "We are the A" chant that filled up the field, and play was underway.
Atlanta United earned an indirect free kick about 10 yards out from goal in the seventh minute. Hairston struck the ball after Ike Eiswirth laid it off, and it careened into the top left corner for Unified's second goal of the season.
About 10 minutes later, Toronto FC got a response in the 16th minute with an indirect free kick of their own, leveling the score at 1-1.
The scores went back and forth to end the first half. Connor Mcilhinney cut into the box and struck an outside the boot shot that curled past the keeper to make it 2-1 Atlanta in the 25th minute. Toronto had a couple of looks to end the half as well. Dee Harden made a key save in net in the 27th minute, but the home side leveled the scores in first half added time. It was the highest scoring half of the season so far for the 5-Stripes.
The second half didn't see any less fun, as Savion Brown opened the scoring in the 43rd minute off a beautiful ball to the back post from Alexander Bartlett.
Hairston had an eye for goal all match, and he got his second from a nifty corner routine by Atlanta United. The ball went to Eiswirth, to Brown, to Bartlett across the face of goal and then cut back to Hairston for a tidy finish in the 50th minute.
Atlanta United's 4-2 lead was cut when a shot hit the crossbar and Afaan Fazal tucked the rebound away in the 52nd minute. Toronto made a push late, but Hairston's third goal was the finishing blow. His strike snuck past the hand of the Toronto FC goalkeeper, and the 5-Stripes had their fifth goal of the day in the 57th minute.
As Hairston and teammates ran over to the corner, they had done just about every celebration in their catalogue so far on the game: Shoe-shining, imitating the boat kid aura farming (watch this video for context), signature handshakes. But for the final goal, Atlanta United honored the late footballer Diogo Jota with his signature video game celebration. As half of the squad sat down and played imaginary controllers, the crowd's applause grew, and Atlanta United Unified saw the match through to a 5-3 win.
About Unified:
Each Unified team is made up of a diverse group of both Special Olympics athletes, individuals with developmental disabilities, and partners, individuals without developmental disabilites. The squads are allowed to freely substitute, giving both rosters a chance to showcase their talent.
The Unified sides train, travel and compete in matches just as the first teams do. It's a truly inclusive space that brings together athletes from all over the Americas.
Atlanta United Unified will play one more match this season when they face Toronto FC Unified in a rematch August 24, that time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
