Ten Defining Goals | Atlanta United at 10
- Jason Longshore
- Feb 9
- 6 min read
In 2026, Atlanta United steps into its 10th season, a milestone that still feels almost impossible to measure. In less than a decade, this club has changed what soccer looks like in Atlanta and across the South. It has filled stadiums, inspired generations of young players, elevated the region’s soccer culture, and proven that this city belongs at the center of the game in this hemisphere. Atlanta United did not simply arrive in Major League Soccer, it helped reshape the league’s ambitions. From the scale of matchdays to the standard of investment, from trophies to global relevance, the Five Stripes became one of the defining forces of MLS’s modern era.
This season is not just another year on the calendar. It is a chance to reflect on everything that has been built through nine unforgettable seasons and to carry that history forward into what comes next. That is the purpose of Atlanta United at 10, a series designed to celebrate the moments, players, matches, and stories that have made this club what it is. This is not about rankings or debates. It is about memory, identity, and the snapshots that still live in the collective heartbeat of this fanbase as we count down toward the 2026 season opener on February 21 in Cincinnati.
We begin with one of the clearest ways to tell Atlanta United’s story. Goals are more than numbers on a scoresheet. They are moments when the stadium holds its breath, and then erupts. They are symbols of eras, from the swagger of the early years to the dominance of a champion, from the resilience of rebuilds to the brilliance of stars who shaped the club’s legacy. These are ten defining strikes that did not just change matches. They helped define Atlanta United.
Yamil Asad vs New York Red Bulls (2017)
In Atlanta United’s inaugural home match at a sold-out Bobby Dodd Stadium, Yamil Asad delivered the first goal in club history, the moment the city’s new soccer era truly began. In the 25th minute, after a Tyrone Mears cross from the right, Asad slid in with his left foot and sent the ball past Luis Robles, igniting an eruption from 55,297 supporters hearing their first home roar. The celebration wasn’t just joy, it was release, flags waving, noise spilling over the stands, Atlanta announcing itself to MLS in real time. Even though the Red Bulls ultimately came back to win 2–1, Asad’s finish remains the emotional high point of that night, the spark that lit the club’s identity from the very start.
Tito Villalba vs Orlando City (2017)
In what became a defining moment of Atlanta’s first season, Tito Villalba punched back late to earn a dramatic 1-1 draw against Orlando City in the final match at Bobby Dodd Stadium, keeping United’s momentum alive and electrifying the home crowd. With star striker Josef Martínez sidelined, Villalba once again delivered in clutch moments, collecting a perfectly-timed Yamil Asad pass in stoppage time and coolly slotting past the goalkeeper to equalize after Orlando had held the lead for most of the day, further showcasing his knack for late heroics in Atlanta’s early rivalry battles after his winner the previous week in Central Florida.
Josef Martínez at Orlando City (2018)
In Orlando, Josef Martínez delivered a goal that meant far more than three points. It rewrote the league’s record books. With the match level late in Orlando, Martínez collected a Julian Gressel pass, cut back inside his defender and confidently chipped Orlando keeper Joe Bendik in the 74th minute, securing a 2–1 win and his 28th goal of the season, breaking the MLS single-season scoring mark previously held by Roy Lassiter, Chris Wondolowski and Bradley Wright-Phillips. The goal not only completed a season sweep of Orlando City but also was part of one of the most prolific scoring campaigns in league history, cementing Martínez’s legacy as a transformative force for Atlanta United.
Eric Remedi at NYCFC (2018 Playoffs)
In a rugged first-leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal at Yankee Stadium, Eric Remedi scored the first goal of his Atlanta career. In the 37th minute, from a corner kick delivered by Julian Gressel, Josef Martínez’s volley was parried by NYCFC keeper Sean Johnson, and Remedi was quickest to react in the scramble, poking the rebound over the line to give United a 1-0 lead on the road. Atlanta’s defensive discipline that night was as defining as the goal itself, as NYCFC produced zero shots on target in the match, making Remedi’s finish even more decisive in putting the Five Stripes in the driver’s seat of the series and propelling their march toward MLS Cup 2018. After losing the Supporters’ Shield the previous week, most national pundits counted Atlanta United out heading into the postseason. Remedi's goal gave the Five Stripes their confidence back.
Franco Escobar vs Portland (MLS Cup 2018)
In the moment Atlanta United began to lift MLS Cup, Franco Escobar delivered the finishing touch that turned celebration into certainty. With the Five Stripes holding a 1–0 lead in the 54th minute, Atlanta won a free kick, Miguel Almirón sent it into the box, and Josef Martínez rose to head it across goal into Escobar’s path. The right back reacted instantly, guiding his finish home to make it 2–0 and put the final beyond Portland’s reach. It was a goal built on the spine of that championship team, Almirón’s service, Josef’s presence, Escobar’s sharpness, and it remains one of the defining strikes in the most unforgettable night in club history.
Pity Martínez vs Minnesota United (US Open Cup Final 2019)
On a night that delivered Atlanta United its first ever US Open Cup trophy, Gonzalo “Pity” Martínez scored the goal that turned the final into certainty. After Minnesota’s back line put Atlanta ahead with an own goal in the 10th minute, Martínez struck again just six minutes later with a moment of calm, elite finishing. Justin Meram’s low cross from the left found Pity arriving patiently into a pocket of space in the center of the box, and the former South American Footballer of the Year one-touched his shot perfectly into the net to make it 2–0. It was a deft, composed finish that gave United control of the night, forcing Minnesota to chase a mountain the rest of the match as Atlanta claimed another trophy in its golden era.
Jeff Larentowicz vs Club América (Campeones Cup 2019)
In a wild and electric Campeones Cup final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, it was Jeff Larentowicz’s goal that turned the tide for Atlanta United against Mexican giants Club América. After Emerson Hyndman put United ahead and América regained the lead early in the second half, Larentowicz responded in the 59th minute with a thunderous long-range strike that deflected past the goalkeeper to level the match at 2-2, swinging momentum back to the Five Stripes in front of a packed crowd. His finish wasn’t just timely in leveling the match, it energized the stadium and set the stage for Florentin Pogba to draw a penalty that Josef Martínez converted later in the match, helping Atlanta secure a memorable 3-2 victory and claim the first international trophy in club history.
Thiago Almada vs San Jose (2023)
In the 2023 MLS season opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Thiago Almada produced one of the most dramatic match-winners in Atlanta United history with his second goal in stoppage time. Trailing 1-0 after an early San Jose strike, Almada first brought the Five Stripes level in the 93rd minute, curling a shot off the underside of the crossbar and into the net following a corner from Brooks Lennon. With the clock winding down and the crowd at full roar, Atlanta earned a final free kick outside the box, and Almada stepped up to bend a right-footed strike past the goalkeeper in the 99th minute for the winner, the latest game-deciding goal in club history and a stunning example of his quality and clutch instinct. His stoppage-time heroics not only sealed a 2-1 comeback victory on opening night but also made him one of the few players in MLS history to score both an equalizer and the game-winner in stoppage time.
Xande Silva vs Inter Miami (2024)
In a postseason clash that had atmosphere appreciated anywhere in the world, Xande Silva delivered a goal that will be replayed in Atlanta United lore for years. With Atlanta trailing in the series and the match deadlocked at 1–1, Silva collected the ball just outside the box after crafty interplay from Daniel Rios, Tristan Muyumba, and Alexey Miranchuk. He steadied himself and unleashed a fierce right-footed strike into the top corner to put Atlanta ahead late. His finish was more than a winner on the night, it gave United a lifeline in the series and sent the tie back to Miami with all the momentum. In a high-stakes test of character and composure, Silva’s strike was pure instinct under pressure, the kind of goal that defines post-season heroes and moments in this club’s competitive identity.
Bartosz Slisz at Inter Miami (2024)
In one of the most unlikely playoff upsets in MLS history, Bartosz Slisz delivered the decisive strike that sent Atlanta United past Supporters’ Shield winners Inter Miami in Game 3 of the Round One series. After Miami had taken the lead through Matías Rojas and Lionel Messi’s second-half header had pulled the hosts level, Slisz rose highest in the 76th minute to meet a perfect whipped cross from Pedro Amador and headed the ball into the back of the net to put the Five Stripes ahead 3-2, a lead they would hold to secure the victory and eliminate the top seed from the MLS Cup Playoffs.
I’d say Parky’s heads up theft straight to Josef in the attacking third took the wind out of the Timbers’ sails and set the tone for that entire MLS cup game!