Atlanta United 2 defeated Charleston Battery 4-2 at Patriots Point Soccer Complex on Wednesday night. Tristan Trager scored two goals in less than three minutes and Jackson Conway followed suit with his own brace later in the match to secure three points for ATL UTD 2.
Atlanta got off to a fast start, scoring just 37 seconds into the match. Conway received a Raimar throw-in on the left flank, dribbling through a few Charleston players before putting a cross in. Battery captain A.J. Paterson got to the ball first but touched it right into the path of Trager, who took a touch before firing past goalkeeper Hugo Fauroux.
Trager bagged his second goal of the evening almost two minutes later, giving the visitors an early 2-0 advantage. A long ball played out of the back line by Noah Cobb forced another loose touch in the Charleston defense, this time from Preston Kilwien. Conway gathered possession of the ball and sent Trager through on goal with an incisive pass. The Air Force Academy alumnus put a left-footed shot on target, which Fauroux saved with his feet but right back to Trager. The 22-year-old found the back of the open net with his left foot, his third goal in his third start of the season.
Charleston striker Augustine Williams cut the host’s deficit to one goal in the 20th minute. Aidan Apodaca drove into the penalty area and took a shot that forced Justin Garces to make a diving save. The rebound fell right to Williams, who tapped the ball into the open net from six yards out.
Following his contributions on the first two goals, Conway got on the scoresheet himself with a strike in the 35th minute. Darwin Matheus created a two-on-one breakaway for Atlanta on the counterattack, sending David Mejía clear on goal with Conway by his side. The pair entered into the Charleston box prior to Mejía playing a ball across to Conway, who converted his goal-scoring opportunity with ease.
The hosts started the second half well and made it a 3-2 game in the 50th minute. A cross played from the left side to the back post was headed down by Williams and smashed in by Mauro Cichero on the half volley.
Atlanta restored its two-goal advantage in the 70th minute off Conway’s second goal of the match. Matheus whipped a corner kick to the near post where the Homegrown striker headed in from close range. The goal was Conway’s fifth in two matches against Charleston this season.
The Battery scored a consolation goal in the final moments of stoppage time as Geobel Perez hit a pass from Williams first time, an unstoppable effort into the top corner of Garces’ net.
ATL UTD 2 (4-12-1, 13 points) returns to Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia to take on El Paso Locomotive on Saturday, July 2. (7:30 p.m., ESPN+).
MATCH INFO
Charleston 2, Atlanta 4
Patriots Point Soccer Complex
Charleston, South Carolina
STATS
Shots: 17-16 Atlanta
Shots on Target: 9-9
Corner kicks: 6-6
Fouls committed: 17-14 Atlanta
Offsides: 1-1
Possession: 55.9-44.1 Charleston
Passing Accuracy: 83.8-81.8 Charleston
SCORING SUMMARY
ATL – Tristan Trager 1’ (unassisted)
ATL – Tristan Trager 3’ (unassisted)
CHS – Augustine Williams 20’ (unassisted)
ATL – Jackson Conway 35’ (David Mejía)
CHS – Mauro Cichero 50’ (Augustine Williams)
ATL – Jackson Conway 70’ (Darwin Matheus)
CHS – Geobel Perez 90+7’ (Augustine Williams)
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
CHS – Mauro Cichero 57’ (yellow)
ATL – Noah Cobb 58’ (yellow)
ATL – Ajani Fortune 60’ (yellow)
ATL – Nelson Orji 64’ (yellow)
ATL – Robbie Mertz 73’ (yellow)
CHS - DZ Harmon 74’ (yellow)
ATL – Nick Firmino 88’ (yellow)
ATL UTD 2 STARTING LINEUP
Justin Garces; Grant Howard, Noah Cobb, Nelson Orji; David Mejía (Erik Centeno – 71’), Robbie Mertz © (Toni Tiente – 76’), Ajani Fortune, Darwin Matheus (Nick Firmino – 71’), Raimar; Jackson Conway (Andy Sullins – 75’), Tristan Trager (Efrain Morales – 90+5’).
Substitutes not used: Vicente Reyes, Emenike Nwogu.
CHARLESTON BATTERY STARTING LINEUP
Hugo Fauroux; Matt Sheldon, Leland Archer, Preston Kilwien, A.J. Paterson © (Tristan Weber – 82’); Joseph Schmidt (Dominic Oduro – 71’), Aidan Apodaca (Enock Kwakwa – 61’); Mauro Cichero (DZ Harmon – 71’), Romario Piggott (Shak Adams – 82’), Geobel Pérez; Augustine Williams.
Substitutes not used: Daniel Kuzemka.
OFFICIALS
John Matto (referee), Jeremy Smith (assistant), Joe Suchoski (assistant), Izlen Peksenar (fourth official)
TEAM NOTES
- Tristan Trager recorded his first professional brace
- Jackson Conway recorded a brace
- Tristan Trager scored in his second consecutive match
- Raimar notched his team-leading third assist of the season
