by Madison Crews
Atlanta United II secured another win in the preseason after beating the Chattanooga Red Wolves 3-2.
The 2's gave up an early goal to the Red Wolves, but Javier Armas equaled the score at 1-1 with a strong volley after Erik Centeno's shot careened off the post. A few mistakes led to the Red Wolves earning another goal before the first half ended from the penalty spot.
Atlanta came back from being down 2-1 going into half time with Karim Tmini earning a brace to give them the lead.
“We are trying to get fit for the season and trying to get chemistry with the players, Tmini said after the match. "The squad has changed and we have a lot of new players coming from the 17s and the 19s, so we are trying to get everything in order before the start of the season.”
This new ATL UTD 2 squad has many new faces, but also has a wide range of ages. Many of the players have come from different backgrounds in the soccer world.
“Coming into halftime, Coach Cooke got on top of some of the players. I talked to them a little bit as well,” Efraín Morales said after the match. “I told them that I had been in that position more times than I can remember. I just talked to them a little bit just to help them stay level headed and not freak out. This is hopefully something I can help them with because I definitely struggled with it growing up.”
This match showed how resilient and gritty Atlanta United II can be in matches. They were able to bounce back after being down at halftime and really prove how impressive this team is.
“I thought the players were just excellent in the second half and not only did we dominate physically in the second half, but we absolutely dominated with the ball,” Head Coach Steve Cooke said. “It wasn’t just about showing spirit and fight, it was about quality as well. I think that is the type of team we want to see week in and week out in the second half."
Atlanta United II will wrap up their preseason schedule with a match against Huntsville City at Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium on Friday, March 8 before returning home to face Orlando City B in Kennesaw on Saturday, March 16 at 7pm. You'll be able to listen to Atlanta United 2 matches all season long on the SDH Network.
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