By Justin Ruderman
Atlanta United salvaged a confidence boost from their Phase One finale with the club’s first victory in tournament history, smashing Atlas 4-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday night to conclude their Leagues Cup 2025 outing.
The hosts jumped out on the front foot early, causing immediate danger and drawing a penalty through defender Stian Gregersen. Eight minutes in, Jamal Thiaré put Atlanta up from the spot.
Los Zorros responded by dominating possession for the next 25 minutes. They took the game to Atlanta in their opponent’s half, looking as if they were primed to equalize. Once Alexey Miranchuk got back on the ball in the Five Stripes’ attacking third, however, the Russian international played an overlapping give-and-go with Luke Brennan to double the MLS side’s lead.
Five minutes later, Saba Lobjanidze capped off Atlanta’s best half of the season in style with a jaw-dropping free kick into the top corner, grazing the goalkeeper’s gloves as the power carried his shot into the net. Just like that, the scoreline read 3-0 heading into halftime.
Despite los Rojinegros’ best effort to mount a comeback after the break, the two sides traded second-half goals before the final whistle blew. Cayman Togashi came off the bench to extend Atlanta’s lead to 4-0 with a powerful header past Camilo Vargas, assisted by fellow ATL second-team player Nykolas Sessock. Substitute Diego González then delivered the second impressive free kick of the night to erase Atlanta’s clean sheet.
With no result sufficient to see the Five Stripes reach the knockout stages, a 4-1 demolition of former manager Gonzalo Pineda’s Atlas to close their Leagues Cup 2025 campaign was about as good an ending as Atlanta could’ve hoped for—and they got it done.
PLAYERS OF THE MATCH
- Atlanta United
- Saba Lobjanidze: The 30-year-old Georgian international banged in a gorgeous free kick to extend the Five Stipes’ first-half lead to 3-0.
- Atlas
- Diego González: Atlas’ lone goalscorer on the night received a beneficial deflection on his free kick to send it past Jayden Hibbert off the inside of the far post.
GAME NOTES
- Salvatore Mazzaferro, Cooper Sanchez and Leo Afonso made their Atlanta United debuts.
- Saba Lobjanidze scored his first goal of the season for Atlanta with a stunning free kick.
- Cayman Togashi scored his first goal with Atlanta United in his 3rd appearance.
- Atlanta United earned their first-ever Leagues Cup win by snapping their 6-game winless streak.
- Atlas exits Leagues Cup 2025 without a point. As it stands, they would finish bottom of the LIGA MX Phase One table.
- The 4-1 triumph marked the largest margin of victory of the season for Atlanta United.
CARDS/INJURY REPORT
- Yellow Cards
- Atlanta: Luke Brennan, Ronald Hernández, Brooks Lennon, Jayden Hibbert, Will Rielly
- Atlas: Gaddi Aguirre, Gustavo Ferrareis, Eduardo Aguirre, Uros Djurdjevic
LOOKING AHEAD
- Atlanta return to MLS play on Saturday in Montréal
- Atlas is back in LIGA MX action on Saturday at home against Pachuca.
