CHESTER, Pa. — It was a tough night at Subaru Park for Atlanta United 2, who fell 5-1 to Philadelphia Union II on Thursday. But despite the scoreline, there was a bright spot: the long-awaited return — and goal — from Javier Armas.
The 22-year-old midfielder, making his first start back from injury, gave Atlanta fans something to cheer about with a well-taken penalty in the 85th minute, marking his first goal of the season. It was a much-needed moment of pride in an otherwise difficult road match.
Early Action, Missed Opportunity
Atlanta came out swinging in the opening minutes. Javier Armas sparked a counterattack, chipping a clever ball to Ryan Carmichael, who went one-on-one with Union II’s keeper Oliver Semmle. Semmle rushed off his line to clear, and Cayman Togashi nearly punished him with a lob, but the ball drifted wide.
Philly Takes Control
Philadelphia found the opener in the 21st minute with a lofted header from Stas Korzeniowski, who used all of his 6-foot-4 frame to nod one over Jayden Hibbert.
Atlanta responded with more pressure — including a strong effort from Togashi — but couldn’t beat Semmle.
Just before the half, Neil Pierre doubled Philly’s lead with a diving header, giving the home side a 2-0 advantage at the break.
Down a Man, Up Against It
The second half started with more pressure from Atlanta, but a second yellow card to Dominik Chong Qui in the 55th minute left the visitors down to 10 men for the final 35 minutes.
Still, Atlanta kept pushing. Armas found Togashi in the 64th minute, but the Japanese striker couldn’t find the space to fire.
Philly Turns the Screws
With the man advantage, Philadelphia piled on the pressure, scoring three goals in six minutes through CJ Olney, Nick Pariano, and Kellen LeBlanc, putting the game out of reach.
Armas Returns with a Bang
In the 85th, sub Patrick Weah made an instant impact, drawing a penalty after a slick move inside the box. Armas stepped up and slotted it coolly into the bottom corner, sending Semmle the wrong way and stamping his name back into the score sheet.
Next Up: A Bounce-Back Opportunity
Atlanta United 2 (1-2-2, 5 points) will look to regroup quickly as they return home to Fifth Third Stadium on Wednesday, April 23, hosting Carolina Core FC at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Catch the action on MLSNEXTPro.com or tune in locally via Soccer Down Here. Some ATL UTD 2 matches are also available on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass.
The bounce-back begins next week — be there, 17s!
