Atlanta United 2 hosts Carolina Core FC on Wednesday night

Atlanta United 2 returns to action at Fifth Third Stadium for a match against Carolina Core FC on Wednesday, May 8. The match is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, while fans can also tune in to the Soccer Down Here audio stream.

Scouting report
Carolina Core FC is one of two independent teams joining MLS NEXT Pro this season. North Carolina enters Wednesday’s game with a record of 0-4-1 (2 points) and is in last place in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta will look to capitalize on CCFC’s defensive woes as the North Carolina club has scored 11 goals in five matches with a -8 goal differential, which places them last in MLS NEXT Pro. Forward David Polanco has been Carolina’s main threat thus far, having scored two of Carolina Core’s three goals this season.

Last release
Atlanta United 2 is coming off a 0-0 draw against New York City FC II on Friday, May 3, before winning the penalty shootout 4-2 to claim two points. Both teams managed to create dangerous scoring chances, but neither was able to capitalize thanks to both teams’ exceptional goalkeeping. Between the sticks for Atlanta United was Josh Cohen, who made five crucial saves in regulation while stopping two penalty attempts in the shootout. It was Cohen’s second clean sheet in two appearances for ATL UTD 2.

Previous meeting
ATL UTD 2 holds a 1-0-0 record against Carolina Core FC, with the last meeting between the two teams ending in a 4-0 loss to ATL UTD 2 on March 24, 2024. Midfielder Luke Brennan scored twice while Javier Armas and Karim Tmimi each added a goal.