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.
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By Atlanta United FC
February 28, 2022
