ATLANTA — Atlanta United played D.C. United to a 3-3 draw in its first Leagues Cup Group Stage match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday night.
D.C. United won the penalty shootout 6-5 to claim the extra point. Daniel Ríos netted a pair of goals and Saba Lobjanidze scored his first goal in Leagues Cup play as the team overcame a two-goal deficit to earn an important point heading into its second and final Group Stage match next Sunday against Santos Laguna.
D.C. United capitalized on a broken play from Atlanta and took the lead in the fourth minute. Stian Gregersen played a back pass to goalkeeper Josh Cohen who mishit an attempted clearance and Dominique Badji won the header, playing the ball to Christian Benteke alone behind Atlanta's backline. Cohen rushed off his line to knock the ball away, but Benteke took a touch around him and tapped the ball into an open net.
Atlanta equalized in the 20th minute through Ríos. Jay Fortune started the play with a long ball to Lobjanidze on the right side where he had his initial cross blocked. Brooks Lennon followed the rebound and whipped in a cross to Ríos in the center of the box. The Mexican forward expertly placed a bouncing header to the bottom right corner.
The visitors, however, regained the lead in the 25th minute. D.C. goalkeeper Alex Bono played a long ball down the center of the field which Lennon headed backward into the path of Jared Stroud. Running toward goal from the right side, Stroud finished past Cohen with a low shot to give D.C. a 2-1 lead.
Stroud extended D.C.'s lead in the 32nd minute. Gregersen headed away a D.C. United corner to the top of the box, but it fell directly to Stroud where he took one touch before sending a volley into the upper right corner.
Lobjanidze pulled Atlanta back within a goal in the 38th minute. Xande Silva brought down a long pass from Lennon on the edge of the 18-yard box and attempted to chip a pass over a defender to Rios sprinting toward goal. A D.C. defender cleared it away, but Lobjanidze collected the ball on the left side and dribbled into the box before cutting the ball on to his right foot and unleashing a screaming shot into the upper right corner, leaving Bono flat-footed.
Atlanta United earned a penalty in the 60th minute when Ríos was taken down by Cristian Dajome while attacking a Lennon cross. Initially waved off, a lengthy review eventually awarded Atlanta a penalty which Bartosz Slisz stepped up for. The Polish midfielder drilled a low shot to the left side, but Bono guessed correctly and made the save to preserve D.C.'s 3-2 lead in the 65th minute.
Atlanta continued to push for an equalizing goal and earned its second penalty of the night in the 79th minute. Jamal Thiare gathered a long ball from Dax McCarty on the left side just outside of the 18-yard box and held the ball until Lobjanidze arrived. The two combined for a give-and-go which ended with Thiare being played in on goal, but he was cut down by a slide tackle from Aaron Herrera. The referee immediately pointed to the spot and awarded Atlanta a penalty kick. Ríos stepped to the spot and scored with a well-taken shot to the bottom left corner. It was Ríos' ninth goal in all competitions for Atlanta this year.
The match finished tied and entered a penalty shootout to determine which side would receive an extra point in the group standings. Cohen opened the shootout by saving Mateusz Klich's attempt, but D.C. would not miss again as the visitor's converted their next six penalties. Atlanta scored five of its seven attempts as Bono saved shots from Lennon and Slisz.
Atlanta United continues Leagues Cup action Sunday, Aug. 4 when it hosts Santos Laguna in its second Group Stage match of Leagues Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
