HIGH POINT, NC (MAY 2, 2026) - In a early season rematch, the Core fell took on Atlanta United 2 at Truist Point Stadium. Despite a valiant effort from the squad, including a spectactular goal from Anthony Sumo Jr., the Core weren't able to overcome a first half defecit, falling 2-1 to Atlanta United 2.
The Core controlled the opening ten minutes of the match, creating multiple high-quality opportunities. David Diaz and Arnaud Tattevin nearly found the net with solo efforts, while Ricardo Montenegro had the Core's best chance of the opening period after being played in on goal; however, his effort was saved by the Atlanta goalkeeper.
Despite the early pressure from the Foxes, Atlanta United 2 found the opening goal against the run of play. In the 29th minute, Cameron Dunbar capitalized on a counter-attack to slot home a 1-0 lead for the visitors.
Nick Holliday kept the Core within striking distance for the majority of the first half. He made an incredible reflex save in the 34th minute to deny a goal-bound header off an Atlanta corner and was called into action again in the 39th minute, getting down low to prevent a second Atlanta goal.
The visitors did eventually find the back of the net again, as Dunbar netted his second of the match just before the whistle, giving the Georgia side a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Foxes put pressure on Atlanta early in the second half, with chances from Zeegers and Raimbault in the early minutes. Anthony Sumo Jr. drew one back for The Core in the 57th minute, making an instant impact as he curled a shot around the keeper to find the back of the net.
The Foxes put Atlanta on the backfoot for the rest of the match but weren't able to find an equalizer. The Core return to action this Thursday May 7th at 8pm when they hit the road to take on Huntsville City FC.
MATCH DETAILS
Date: May 2, 2026
Competition: MLS NEXT Pro
Venue: Truist Point Stadium | High Point, NC
Kickoff: 6.00 p.m. ET
Weather: 72 degrees, Sunny
SCORING SUMMARY
FT: 1-2
ATL: 29' - Cameron Dunbar
ATL: 45'+2' - Cameron Dunbar
CCFC: 57' - Anthony Sumo Jr.
LINEUPS
CCFC: Nick Holliday; Nelson Martinez, Santiago Yepes, Nolan Evers (C), Jair Caiza; Tim Zeegers, Ricardo Montenegro (46' - Anthony Sumo Jr.), Alenga Charles (46' - Mohamed Diakite); Thomas Raimbault (75' - Khalid Balogun), Arnaud Tattevin, David Diaz (71' - Nathan Brown)
Substitutes not used: Trevor Jackson, Corey Lundeen, Dominique Colon, Dyllan John
Atlanta United 2: Jonathan Ransom; Domink Chong Qui, Mohamed Cisset, Matthew Senanou, Daniel Chica; Adyn Torres, Adrian Gill; Cameron Dunbar, Ignacio Suarez-Couri (89' - Ilan Ettinger), Enzo Dovlo (75' - Moises Tablante), Arif Kovac (70' - Liam Butts)
Substitutes not used: Patrick Weah, James Donaldson, Andrew Jardines, DD Sibrian
STATS SUMMARY
CCFC / ATL
Shots: 12 / 14
Shots on Goal: 1 / 4
Saves: 3 / 3
Corners: 3 / 4
Possession: 50% / 50%
Fouls: 12 / 14
Yellow Cards: 2 / 3
Red Cards: 0 / 0
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
ATL: 41' - Matthew Senanou (Yellow)
CCFC: 53' - Tim Zeegers (Yellow)
ATL: 54' - Mohamed Cisset (Yellow)
CCFC: 78' - Khalid Balogun (Yellow)
CCFC: 78' - CCFC Bench (Yellow)
ATL: 79' - Domink Chong Qui (Yellow)
