Dom Dwyer scored two goals and had an assist and Atlanta United began defense of its U.S. Open Cup with a 6-0 victory over Chattanooga on Wednesday at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
Ronald Hernandez, Marcelino Moreno, Luiz Araujo and Brooks Lennon also scored for the Five Stripes, who improved to 8-0 in games at Kennesaw State.
Atlanta United’s offense, which had scored just one goal in its previous three games, had no trouble against its opponent from the third division (NISA), setting a season high. Atlanta United finished with 21 shots, putting six on goal. The team set a club record for goals scored in the U.S. Open Cup.
“We talked about being more clinical, right?” manager Gonzalo Pineda said. “And at times that happens, we struggled the last two games scoring goals, and we felt that there was a good opportunity to break that record. And I think they were a bit more composed in the final third, even though still, there are some some chances that we let go, because of the last touch or the last pass wasn’t quite there, I felt that we took every opportunity to try and to really score the goals.”
Atlanta United won the U.S. Open Cup in 2019 but remains the defending champ because the tournament was cancelled in 2020 and ‘21 because of COVID-19. The draw for the next round is scheduled for Thursday at noon. The round of 32 games are scheduled to be played May 10 and 11. the round of 16 on May 24 and 25, the quarterfinals are scheduled to be played June 21 and 22, the semifinals are scheduled to be played July 26 and 27 and this year’s championship is scheduled to be played Sept. 6, 7, 13, or 14.
Pineda fielded a fairly strong lineup that included five regular starters. Bobby Shuttleworth replaced the injured Brad Guzan in goal with Miles Robinson, who was named captain, and Alex de John the centerbacks, Andrew Gutman and Hernandez the fullbacks, Franco Ibarra, Amar Sejdic and Moreno in the midfield, Tyler Wolff and Jake Mulraney on the wings and Dwyer at striker. In the U.S. Open Cup, only six international players can be included on the 18-player game-day roster.
Atlanta United opened a 1-0 lead on a goal by Hernandez, who one-timed a cross by Gutman at the back post in the 21st minute, in a fullback-to-fullback connection. Atlanta United had dominated possession to that point, spending the previous several minutes with the ball around Chattanooga’s penalty box before the score. It was Gutman’s first assist this season.
The lead went to 2-0 on a sharp header by Dwyer on a hard cross by Mulraney. Dwyer headed it back across the goal into the opposite corner in the 25th minute. The goals came on Atlanta United’s first two shots on goal. It was the first goal by an Atlanta United striker in 378 minutes.
“He (Mulraney) puts a great fall in so I just knew I had to put myself in a good position,” Dwyer said. “Get myself in front of the defender. Just timed it well.”
Dwyer notched his second goal and gave Atlanta United a 3-0 lead when he was first to pounce on a loose ball 20 yards from goal near the left side of the penalty box. He hammered a left-footed shot into the opposite corner in the 35th minute. Pineda said he appreciated that goal because of how Dwyer read the play.
“I’m very happy for his confidence,” PIneda said.
Lennon and Thiago Almada came on to start the second half in place of Sejdic and Wolff, who each received yellow cards in the first half.
Mulraney won a penalty kick in the 52nd minute when he was tackled from behind in the box. Moreno converted the penalty with a shot to the lower left corner in the 53rd minute to give Atlanta United a 4-0 lead. Moreno failed to convert a penalty in the previous game against Cincinnati.
Araujo and Emerson Hyndman came on in the 62nd minute for Gutman and Moreno. Mulraney moved to fullback in place of Gutman.
Araujo scored in the 67th minute when he chipped Chattanooga’s goalkeeper from 17 yards. Dwyer was given the assist.
Ronaldo Cisneros replaced Dwyer in the 76th minute.
Lennon made it 6-0 with a shot into the lower left corner in the 84th minute. The sequence started with Robinson forcing a turnover 35 yards from goal.
“I was very happy with how fast we moved the ball from side to side, and especially on the ground, and especially through the midfielders,” Pineda said. “And we did that and we were really dangerous.”
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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule
Feb. 27 Atlanta United 3, Sporting KC 1
March 5 Colorado 3, Atlanta United 0
March 13 Atlanta United 2, Charlotte 1
March 19 Atlanta United 3, Montreal 3
April 2 Atlanta United 1, D.C. United 0
April 10 Charlotte 1, Atlanta United 0
April 16 Atlanta United 0, Cincinnati 0
April 24 at Miami, 1 p.m., ESPN
April 30 at Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 7 vs. Chicago, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 15 vs. New England, 1:30 p.m., ESPN
May 21 at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. FOX
May 28 vs. Columbus Crew, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 19 vs Miami, 4 p.m., ESPN2
June 25 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 30 at New York Red Bulls, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 3 at NYCFC, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 9 vs. Austin, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 13 vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 17 vs. Orlando, 3 p.m., ABC
July 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 9:30 p.m., FS1
July 30 at Chicago, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
August 6 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., ABC
August 13 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
August 17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
August 21 at Columbus, 6 p.m., FS1
August 28 vs. D.C. United, 4 p.m., UNIV
August 31 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 at Portland, 5:30 p.m., FOX
Sept. 10 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 14 at Orlando, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept 17 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 1 at New England, 1 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 9 vs. NYCFC, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
