Dom Dwyer scored a golazo in his club debut, Josef Martinez dished out a pair of assists, and 17-year-old homegrown defender Caleb Wiley scored in his MLS debut as Atlanta United got their 2022 MLS campaign started with a 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.
Luiz Araujo scored the opener for Atlanta before exiting the contest with an injury, with Dwyer adding the second in first-half stoppage time after coming on as his replacement. Daniel Salloi gave Sporting KC a late lifeline with a goal in the 85th minute, but Wiley struck just four minutes later to preserve all three points.
Araujo put the Five Stripes on top 20 minutes into the contest, running onto a flicked back-heel from Josef Martinez and sneaking the finish past SKC goalkeeper Tim Melia. The celebrations were tempered, however, as Araujo appeared to suffer a muscle injury on the play and was subbed off for Dwyer.
Dwyer made the most of the opportunity, as he struck for Atlanta's second just before the halftime whistle. The former SKC man made a stellar individual effort to evade Andreu Fontas on the right side of the penalty box, setting himself up for a clinical finish that marked his first MLS goal since Sept. 21, 2019.
The 2-0 scoreline held until the 85th minute, when Salloi found himself unmarked at the far post on a corner kick and cashed home a close-range finish, giving the visitors a chance to salvage a point. But Wiley ensured that wouldn't happen, as the homegrown player found a breakaway finish on his MLS debut just before the final whistle.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: The Five Stripes couldn't have asked for a much better start to their season as head coach Gonzalo Pineda embarks on his first full year at the helm. With all the attacking talent on their roster, Atlanta certainly had the look of a side primed to re-establish themselves as an Eastern Conference power in 2022, although Araujo's injury would certainly be a blow should he be sidelined for a significant amount of time.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Dwyer just signed with Atlanta on Tuesday and was only on the field due to Araujo's exit, making this highlight-reel strike against his former team a remarkable moment at the Benz.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Josef Martinez has made his name as one of the league's most prolific goal-scorers ever, but he showed his chops as a facilitator on each of Atlanta's first two goals, including a gorgeous backheel assist on Araujo's opener.
Next Up
- ATL: Saturday, March 5 at Colorado Rapids | 6 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
- SKC: Saturday, March 5 vs. Houston Dynamo FC | 3:30 pm ET (Univision, TUDN, Twitter)
