Atlanta United 2 faces Crown Legacy FC on the road Sunday morning

Atlanta United 2 returns to the road to take on regional rival Crown Legacy FC on Sunday, July 21 at the Sportsplex at Matthews. The match is scheduled to kick off at 5:00 p.m. ET and will be streamed on Apple TV – MLS Season Pass. Fans can also tune in to the Soccer Down Here audio stream.

Young stars shine
Atlanta United Academy defender Dominik Chong Qui has been named the MLS NEXT Rising Star of Week 18. Chong Qui scored his second goal in two games in his first start in Sunday night’s 2-2 draw and penalty shootout victory over Columbus Crew 2. After scoring his first professional goal as a substitute in the Week 17 match against New York Red Bulls II, Chong Qui earned a spot in the starting lineup in just his fourth game for ATL UTD 2. The 16-year-old left back played the full 90 minutes against Columbus Crew 2 and scored Atlanta’s second goal of the game, giving the visitors a late lead. In the 84th minute, Argentina midfielder Matías Gallardo carried the ball into midfield before finding Chong Qui racing towards the back post, threading a pass into the box to the left-back who calmly slotted a shot under the keeper for a 2-1 lead.

Previous meeting
Atlanta United 2 is 1-3-0 (WLD) against Crown Legacy FC. The last meeting between the two teams ended in a last-minute heartbreaker for Atlanta at Fifth Third Stadium on May 31. Crown Legacy midfielder Aron John scored the only goal of the game in the 91st minute to bring home three points for the Charlotte FC affiliate.

Welcome Rodrigo!
On Thursday, July 11, Atlanta United 2 announced the signing of American forward Rodrigo Neri on a free transfer from Valencia CF’s Academy. Neri, 19, has spent the last few years developing through multiple Academy systems in LaLiga and LaLiga 2. He began his professional career when he joined Atlético Madrid in 2021, progressing through their Academy while occasionally training with their first team. Internationally, Neri has represented the United States at the U-19 and U-23 levels. In 2023, Neri was selected to the 18-man roster to represent the United States at the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile. In total, Neri has scored seven goals in 13 appearances for the United States youth national teams. Neri is also eligible to represent Spain and Venezuela.