February 27, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Atlanta United FC News Release
ATLANTA – Atlanta United defeated Sporting Kansas City 3-1 in its 2022 MLS season opener Sunday in front of 67,523 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Luiz Araújo and Dom Dwyer each scored in the first half while 17-year-old Homegrown Caleb Wiley iced the game with a late goal in his MLS debut to give Atlanta the win in its first-ever season opener in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta struck first with a goal in the 20th minute. Atlanta’s press forced an errant pass from an SKC defender which was gathered by Tyler Wolff in the attacking half. The 19-year-old Homegrown quickly played a ball to the feet of Josef Martínez, who backheeled the ball into the run of a sprinting Araújo where the Brazilian chipped the ball over SKC goalkeeper Tim Melia for the 1-0 lead. However, Araújo came up injured on the play and was forced to leave the match.
Dom Dwyer replaced Araújo to make his club debut and later doubled Atlanta’s lead in first half stoppage time. Wolff won a ball in the defensive third and found Martínez alone near midfield. Martínez then played a long ball to Dwyer in space down the right side. The forward turned towards goal and dribbled by defender Andreu Fontas, drawing Melia off his line before burying a goal against his former club at the near post.
Martínez nearly scored a goal of his own in the 54th minute. Fellow Venezuelan Ronald Hernandez whipped in a cross from the right side that Martínez one-timed near the top of the box, but his attempt was blocked and skipped just over the crossbar.
Dwyer almost scored his second of the night in the 77th minute. Brooks Lennon delivered a low cross from the right flank where the forward made a sliding attempt, but it missed wide of the left post.
Sporting KC pulled one goal back in the 85th minute from a corner. The initial delivery was flicked to the back post and fell to an unmarked Dániel Sallói where he was able to score and cut the deficit in half.
Just 14 minutes after checking into the match for his First Team debut, Wiley put the game to bed in the 89th minute. Marcelino Moreno received a pass alone in the center circle and played the Homegrown down the middle of the field where Wiley outran a pair of defenders, took one touch and poked the ball past Melia and into the bottom right corner of the net.
Atlanta (1-0-0, 3 points) returns to action Saturday, March 5 when it travels to face Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (6:00 p.m., Bally Sports Southeast, Sports Radio 92-9 The Game, La Mejor).
MATCH INFO
Atlanta United 3, Sporting Kansas City 1
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta, Georgia
STATS
Shots: 14-12 Sporting KC
Shots on target: 6-2 Atlanta
Corner kicks: 4-4
Fouls committed: 15-6 Sporting KC
Offside: 5-1 Atlanta
Possession: 56-44 Sporting KC
Passing accuracy: 83-80 Sporting KC
SCORING SUMMARY
ATL – Luiz Araújo (Josef Martínez, Tyler Wolff) 20′ [HIGHLIGHT]
ATL – Dom Dwyer (Josef Martínez) 45+3′ [HIGHLIGHT]
SKC – Dániel Sallói 85′ [HIGHLIGHT]
ATL – Caleb Wiley (Marcelino Moreno) 89′ [HIGHLIGHT]
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
ATL – Miles Robinson (yellow) 3′
ATL – Osvaldo Alonso (yellow) 11′
ATL – Andrew Gutman (yellow) 22′
SKC – Josè Mauri (yellow) 58′
SKC – Andreu Fontas (yellow) 79′
ATLANTA UNITED STARTING LINEUP
Brad Guzan©; Ronald Hernandez, Miles Robinson, George Campbell, Andrew Gutman; Matheus Rossetto, Osvaldo Alonso, Amar Sejdić (Marcelino Moreno – 75′); Tyler Wolff (Brooks Lennon – 64′), Luiz Araújo (Dom Dwyer – 26′), Josef Martínez (Caleb Wiley – 75′).
Substitutes not used: Bobby Shuttleworth, Alex De John, Mikey Ambrose, Dylan Castanheira, Jackson Conway.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY STARTING LINEUP
Tim Melia; Andreu Fontas, Nicolas Isimat, Graham Zusi, Logan Ndenbe; Uri Rosell (Josè Mauri – 51′ – Marinos Tzionis – 77′), Roger Espinoza (Felipe Hernandez – 66′), Remi Walter; Johnny Russell ©, Khiry Shelton, Daniel Salloi.
Substitutes not used: John Pulskamp, Ben Sweat, Robert Voloder, Kortne Ford, Ozzie Cisneros, Cam Duke.
OFFICIALS
Ted Unkel (referee), Jeremy Kieso (assistant), Adam Wienckowski (assistant), Pierre-Luc Lauziere (fourth), Jose Carlos Rivero (VAR), Jeff Muschik (AVAR).
ATTENDANCE
67,523
TEAM NOTES
Luiz Araújo scored his first goal of the season and the fifth of his Atlanta United career
Dom Dwyer made his club debut, scored his first goal of the season and the 82nd of his MLS career
Homegrown Caleb Wiley made his First Team debut and scored his first professional goal
Atlanta United scored multiple goals off the bench for the third time in club history
Josef Martinez had two assists, which marked his third multi-assist match of his Atlanta United career
Tyler Wolff earned his first career MLS assist
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