Atlanta United 2 will face North Carolina FC Saturday night at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. The match is scheduled to kick-off at 7:30 p.m. EST and will be streamed on ESPN+.
ATL UTD 2 returns to Fifth Third Bank Stadium following a 1-0 win Wednesday night at Memphis 901 FC in its first mid-week match of the season. Kevin Barajas scored his first professional goal in the 45th minute after he buried a loose ball in the box just before halftime. Goalkeeper Dylan Castanheira recorded an ATL UTD 2 single-match record eight saves en route to his first professional clean sheet. Atlanta presented a starting XI that tied its youngest-ever lineup with an average age of 20.8 years old as it picked up its first road win of the season.
North Carolina FC also faced Memphis 901 FC in its last outing, which ended as a 1-1 draw at WakeMed Soccer Park on April 6. Neither side found the back of the net until the second half when Marc Burch scored a penalty in the 64th minute after North Carolina’s Austin da Luz was shown a red card for bringing down Ewan Grandison inside the box. Marios Lomis tied the match in the 78th minute from a direct free kick taken on the edge of the 18-yard box.
Saturday’s match marks the third meeting all-time between ATL UTD 2 and North Carolina FC, with the visitor’s holding a 2-0-0 advantage after winning both contests in 2018. North Carolina will be without da Luz due to his red card in the match against Memphis.
