Atlanta United got a stoppage-time goal from Jake Mulraney to beat Charlotte FC, 2-1, in the first-ever matchup between both Southeastern sides Sunday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta struck first at the hour mark following a Christian Makoun penalty on Brooks Lennon. That left it to Josef Martinez, who snuck it to the left of a diving Kristijan Kahlina on a nifty hesitation move from the spot to make it 1-0 for the hosts.
Charlotte leveled the match six minutes later through Adam Armour, who headed a Ben Bender corner kick past Brad Guzan for the expansion club's first goal in league history.
Atlanta struck late in second-half stoppage time to bag all three points, as Mulraney got on the other end of a brilliant pass by Marcelino Moreno and fired past Kahlina for the match-winner.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Charlotte FC looked as if they’d hold on and claim the first point in club history. Atlanta United, however, had other ideas. While they’ll rue missed opportunities despite dominating possession in the first half, the Five Stripes ultimately emerged with all three points in this first chapter of the Southeastern derby.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Atlanta’s second-half substitutes combined for the dramatic match-winner. Moreno’s perfect service to Mulraney ended with the winning goal that sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: While Mulraney had the match-winner, Guzan deserves credit for keeping Charlotte off the scoresheet throughout most of the game. He was credited with six saves on the afternoon, including a series of crucial stops towards the end of the first half.
Next Up
- ATL: Saturday, March 19 vs. CF Montréal | 4:00 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+, DAZN in Canada)
- CLT: Saturday, March 19 vs. New England Revolution | 7:00 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+, DAZN in Canada)
