Atlanta United Starting XI vs. D.C. United
Josh Cohen, Ronald Hernández (C), Derrick Williams, Stian Gregersen, Brooks Lennon, Jay Fortune (Dax McCarty - HT), Bartosz Slisz, Tristan Muyumba (Pedro Amador - 76'), Xande Silva (Jamal Thiaré - HT), Saba Lobjanidze, Daniel Ríos (Nick Firmino - 90+4')
Atlanta United substitutes not used
Brad Guzan, Quentin Westberg, Luis Abram, Luke Brennan, Matt Edwards, Efraín Morales, Edwin Mosquera, Tyler Wolff
D.C. United Starting XI
Alex Bono, Lucas Bartlett, Matti Peltola (Jackson Hopkins - 70'), Aaron Herrera, Chris McVey, David Schnegg (Jacob Murrell - 70'), Mateusz Klich, Jared Stroud (Gabriel Pirani - 87'), Dominique Badji (Pedro Santos - 56'), Christian Dajome, Christian Benteke (C)
D.C. United substitutes not used
Garrison Tubbs, Nathan Crockford, Hayden Sargis, Matai Akinmboni, Luis Zamudio
Scoring
- DC - Christian Benteke (Dominique Badji) 4'
- ATL - Daniel Rios (Brooks Lennon) 20'
- DC - Jared Stroud 25'
- DC - Jared Stroud 32'
- ATL - Saba Lobjanidze 38'
- ATL - Daniel Rios (penalty) 81'
Disciplinary
- DC - Chris McVey 🟨 55'
- DC - Pedro Santos 🟨 86'
Roster Notes
- Ronald Hernández gets the captain's armband Friday.
- Josh Cohen earns the start at goalkeeper for Atlanta United. He made his club debut earlier this year in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
- Center back Stian Gregersen scored both goals in Atlanta United's come-from-behind 2-1 win over defending MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew. The league awarded him with Team of the Matchday honors.
- Saba Lobjanidze is one goal away from having 10 goals and assists for the club in all competitions. He assisted both Gregersen goals against the Crew.
- Saba and Daniel Ríos are co-leaders for Atlanta United in scoring this season. They both appear in the starting XI.
- Atlanta United is looking for its first-ever win in Leagues Cup. Last year in the inaugural tournament, Atlanta United did not advance out of group stage. Last year, Atlanta's group included Inter Miami CF (MLS) and Cruz Azul (Liga MX).
- Pedro Amador made his Atlanta United debut.
Player Availability
- Atlanta United interim head coach Rob Valentino has a full squad healthy and just one rostered player away on international duty.
What is Leagues Cup?
Leagues Cup is an annual, World-Cup style tournament featuring all of the clubs in MLS and Liga MX. This year's competition runs July 26-August 25.
Friday is the first group stage match for Atlanta United. The club was drawn into group East 7 along with D.C. United (MLS) and Santos Laguna (Liga MX). Both matches will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The top two teams from the group, as determined by points, will move on to the single-elmination knockout stage.
What happens in Leagues Cup when there's a tie in regulation? It will be decided in a penalty shootout. Read more about the tournament format and rules here.
Leagues Cup
All of the clubs from MLS and Liga MX will compete in a completely reimagined Leagues Cup: an annual, month-long tournament that runs from July 26-August 25, 2024.
