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Atlanta United vs Sporting KC preview

United States flag 2026 Major League Soccer, United States
Atlanta Stadium
Major League Soccer
Atlanta UnitedATL
2 – 1
2ND HALF 80
Sporting KCSKC
Live : 2nd Half
Regular Season
Tomás Jacob - 13'
Goal
|
Goal

Events

2ND-HALF
Event
Matthew Edwards → Luke Brennan
8th Substitution
78'
Event
Steven Alzate  → Cooper Sanchez
7th Substitution
77'
Event
Elías Báez
Time wasting / 3rd Yellowcard
76'
Event
Stian Gregersen → Paulo Díaz
6th Substitution
73'
Event
Luke Brennan
Foul / 2nd Yellowcard
72'
70'
Event
Stephen Afrifa
Left foot shot / 3rd Goal
Event
Luke Brennan → Adrian Gill
3rd Substitution
62'
Event
Will Reilly → Fafà Picault
5th Substitution
62'
62'
Event
Stephen Afrifa → Taylor Calheira
2nd Substitution
62'
Event
Jayden Reid → Emir Karic
4th Substitution
1ST-HALF
45+2'
Event
Justin Reynolds → Jake Davis
1st Substitution
Event
Fafà Picault
Right foot shot / 2nd Goal
24'
22'
Event
Emir Karic
Foul / 1st Yellowcard
Event
Tomás Jacob
Right foot shot / 1st Goal
13'

Match Commentary

77
Substitution Substitution
Substitution: Steven Alzate comes on for Cooper Sanchez.
76
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Elias Baez receives a yellow card.
75
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Elias Baez receives a yellow card.
74
Attempt Attempt
Lasse Berg Johnsen takes a left-footed shot, but it's blocked.
74
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
73
Substitution Substitution
Substitution: Stian Gregersen comes on for Paulo Diaz.
72
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Luke Brennan receives a yellow card.
70
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued.
70
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! The score is now 2-1.
62
Update Update
Luke Brennan is on, and Adrian Gill is off.
62
Substitution Substitution
William Reilly is substituted off for Pabrice Picault.
62
Update Update
On comes Stephen Afrifa, off goes Taylor Calheira.
62
Update Update
Jayden Reid is on, and Emir Karic is off.
60
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
56
Attempt Attempt
Taylor Calheira attempts a header but misses the shot.
56
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
50
Attempt Attempt
Aleksey Miranchuk takes a left-footed shot but misses.
48
Update Update
Offside.
45
Substitution Substitution
Justin Reynolds is substituted off for Jake Davis.
40
Update Update
Offside.
34
Attempt Attempt
Jake Davis takes a right-footed shot but misses.
34
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
28
Attempt Attempt
Miguel Angel Almiron Rejala takes a left-footed shot that hits the post.
24
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Pabrice Picault scores with a right-footed shot.
24
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Pabrice Picault scores with a right-footed shot.
24
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Pabrice Picault scores with a right-footed shot.
24
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! Pabrice Picault scores, making it 2-0.
23
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
22
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Emir Karic receives a yellow card.
20
Attempt Attempt
Calvin Harris takes a right-footed shot but misses.
19
Attempt Attempt
Miguel Angel Almiron Rejala takes a left-footed shot, but it is saved.
16
Attempt Attempt
Taylor Calheira attempted a header but missed the shot.
16
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
13
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! The score is now 1-0.
13
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Aleksey Miranchuk takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
5
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
1
Update Update
Kick-off! The referee is Tori Penso.

Statistics

Possession
ATL
52%
SKC
48%

Top Statistics

2 Goals 1
2 Big Chances Created 0
4 Shots 4
30 Dangerous attacks 38
52 Possession 48
1 Corners 2
9 Free kicks 6
2 Yellow Cards 1

Match Overview

7 Goal Kicks 4
0 Substitutions 1
12 Throwins 6
1 Hit Woodwork 0
4 Successful Headers 2
2 Assists 0
11 Dribble Attempts 13
4 Successful Dribbles 6
36 Successful Dribbles Percentage 46

Attacking

56 Attacks 54

Possession

50 Long Passes 22
469 Passes 428
411 Successful Passes 378
88 Successful Passes Percentage 88
7 Key Passes 2
30 Successful Long Passes 12
60 Successful Long Passes Percentage 55

Defensive

0 Saves 1
11 Tackles 11
6 Interceptions 8
32 Duels Won 31

Build-up

5 Total Crosses 16
3 Accurate Crosses 2

Discipline

1 Offsides 1
6 Fouls 9

Lineup

Referee : Tori Penso

Starting XI ▼

1
Lucas Hoyos
Lucas Hoyos Goalkeeper
6.76
3
Elías Báez
Elías Báez Defender
7.33
6
Júnior Alonso
Júnior Alonso Defender
6.89
27
Paulo Díaz
Paulo Díaz Defender
7.05
5
Stian Gregersen
Stian Gregersen
Defender73'
55
Tomás Jacob
Tomás Jacob Defender
7.44
8
Tristan Muyumba
Tristan Muyumba Midfielder
6.59
16
Adrian Gill
Adrian Gill Midfielder
6.58
20
Luke Brennan
Luke Brennan
Midfielder62'
48
Cooper Sanchez
Cooper Sanchez Midfielder
6.96
7
Steven Alzate
Steven Alzate
Midfielder77'
10
Miguel Almirón
Miguel Almirón (C) Attacker
7.73
22
Fafà Picault
Fafà Picault Attacker
7.5
28
Will Reilly
Will Reilly
Midfielder62'
59
Aleksey Miranchuk
Aleksey Miranchuk Attacker
6.34
Referee : Tori Penso

Starting XI ▼

30
Stefan Cleveland
Stefan Cleveland Goalkeeper
6.16
3
Moisés Mosquera
Moisés Mosquera Defender
6.47
8
Jake Davis
Jake Davis Defender
6.21
13
Justin Reynolds
Justin Reynolds
Defender45+2'
18
Emir Karic
Emir Karic Defender
6.26
99
Jayden Reid
Jayden Reid
Defender62'
28
Wyatt Meyer
Wyatt Meyer Defender
6.13
4
Lasse Berg Johnsen
Lasse Berg Johnsen Midfielder
6.76
7
Capita
Capita Midfielder
6.32
11
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris Midfielder
6.49
22
Zorhan Bassong
Zorhan Bassong (C) Midfielder
6.53
19
Taylor Calheira
Taylor Calheira Attacker
6.53
17
Stephen Afrifa
Stephen Afrifa
Attacker62'
93
Shapi Suleymanov
Shapi Suleymanov Attacker
6.46

CONTEXT

In the second half at minute 47 Atlanta United continues to dictate the tempo against Sporting KC. The home side has generated the clearer openings and holds a clear edge in expected goal creation while maintaining a slight majority of the ball. Sporting KC has struggled to build sustained pressure and remains largely on the back foot. No dismissals have altered the flow and both teams continue with full complements. Atlanta United entered the contest as the stronger side on paper and the live pattern has tracked those pre-match signals without major deviation. The visitors have yet to find a consistent route through the home defense and their chance quality remains limited. Atlanta United looks composed in possession and is converting territorial control into repeated threats. The match has stayed measured with few interruptions allowing the stronger side to build on its early platform.

TL;DR

  • Live state: Atlanta United controls proceedings in the second half at minute 47 in line with its pre-match status as the stronger side.
  • Structural vs live: Live patterns remain consistent with structural expectations that favored Atlanta United over Sporting KC.
  • Projection vs live: The ongoing second half shows neutral alignment between live developments and pre-match projections.
  • xG trend: Atlanta United has established a clear xG trend advantage while Sporting KC has created minimal quality.
  • Possession profile: Atlanta United holds 54 percent possession against Sporting KC's 46 percent reflecting steady home control.
  • Event impact: Absence of red cards has kept the match flow in line with pre-match efficiency signals.
  • Second-half outlook: The second half continues with Atlanta United maintaining its qualitative edge similar to pre-match indicators.
No standings statistics available.
No head-to-head records found.
0.5+ goals: 85%
1.5+ goals: 70%
2.5+ goals: 50%
3.5+ goals: 25%
Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15
Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%
Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality
T. Penso
T. Penso
Referee • 25 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 30.32
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 4
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0.36
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0.36
League Avg 0
B. Mayo
B. Mayo
1st Assistant • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
W. Heatherly
W. Heatherly
2nd Assistant • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
R. Mendoza
R. Mendoza
4th Official • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Atlanta United G. Martino
G. Martino
VS
Sporting KC R. Wicky
R. Wicky
0.95
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
0.79
1.17 i
Last 6 Opponents
Minnesota United Rank: 65 W
New York RB Rank: 61 W
Philadelphia Union Rank: 67 L
New England Rank: 60 L
Charlotte Rank: 65 D
Nashville SC Rank: 73 L
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
0.67 i
Last 6 Opponents
St. Louis City Rank: 65 D
Colorado Rapids Rank: 62 L
Houston Dynamo Rank: 66 L
Los Angeles FC Rank: 71 L
Minnesota United Rank: 63 W
St. Louis City Rank: 64 L
0
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
0 - 0 - 0
0

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
55.61
50.72
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
Atlanta United
Sporting KC
Power Score
55.61
50.72
League Position
15
15
Global Rank
671
838

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

–
vs
Atlanta United — Opponent-weighted form score
Sporting KC — Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) Atlanta United Sporting KC

Heatmaps Ball coordinates

Attack and defence zones from ball position data. Filters: last 6 matches (overall/home/away), time period, competition.

–
vs

Atlanta United

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —

Sporting KC

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —

Possession Efficiency Possession-Adjusted

How effectively each team uses and defends their share of possession. Efficiency adjusted based on team possession percentage

Atlanta United ⚠ Proxy
vs
⚠ Proxy Sporting KC
Attacking Efficiency
Higher is better
Attacking Efficiency
15.74
10.65
Defensive Efficiency
Lower is better
Defensive Efficiency
10.65
15.74
Combined Efficiency Index Z-score combining attacking and defensive possession-adjusted efficiency.
Positive = above league average.
Negative = below league average.
Formula: EfficiencyIndex = z(AttackEff) − z(DefenceEff)
-3 0 3
Atlanta United +0.37 Efficiency Index
vs
Sporting KC -0.37 Efficiency Index
xG data unavailable for both teams. Values estimated using shots and dangerous attacks (proxy). Confidence: Medium.
Atlanta United
Sporting KC
AttackEff = xG ÷ pos
DefenceEff = xGA ÷ (1−pos)

Set Pieces Efficiency Attack & Defence

Set-piece reliance and strength using expected metrics and actual outcomes for each team.

Atlanta United
vs
Sporting KC
Created Set-piece attacking threat
Atlanta United Sporting KC
Set-piece xG Share Share of total expected goals generated from set pieces. Higher = more set-piece reliant in attack.
48%
68%
Goals per Match Average set-piece goals scored per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xG) Goals scored minus set-piece xG. Positive = overperforming; Negative = underperforming expectations.
-0.76 vs -0.49
Conceded Set-piece defensive exposure
Atlanta United Sporting KC
Set-piece xGA Share Share of total expected goals conceded from set pieces. Higher = more exposed to set pieces defensively.
68%
48%
Conceded per Match Average set-piece goals conceded per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xGA) Goals conceded minus set-piece xGA. Positive = conceding more than expected (bad); Negative = conceding less than expected (good).
-0.49 vs -0.76
Atlanta United
Sporting KC
xG Share = set-piece xG ÷ total xG
vs Expected = goals − set-piece xG

Counter / Transition Attack & Defence

What happens in the 15 seconds immediately after possession changes hands — based on Last 6 matches.

–
Atlanta United
vs
Sporting KC
Attack After Winning Possession transition → offence
Atlanta United Sporting KC
Goals per Match Average goals scored within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Shots per Match Average shots taken within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Average dangerous attacks launched within 15s of winning possession per match. ↑ better
—
—
Transition Efficiency Index Composite score (0–1) of how efficiently this team attacks within 15s of winning the ball. Higher = more dangerous on transition. Higher = stronger on the counter
Atlanta United 0.23
Sporting KC 0.08
Defence After Losing Possession loss → defensive exposure
Atlanta United Sporting KC
Goals Conceded Average goals conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Shots Conceded Average shots conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Conceded Average dangerous attacks allowed within 15s of losing possession per match. ↓ better
—
—
Vulnerability Index Composite score (0–1) of how exposed this team is within 15s of losing the ball. Lower = better at preventing transition attacks. Lower = better transition defence
Atlanta United 0.00
Sporting KC 0.07
Atlanta United
Sporting KC
Window = 15s post-possession change
Index = 0–1 composite score

PRESSURE INDEX

Momentum phases from smoothed minute-by-minute pressure.

  • ATL had peak pressure around 25'.
  • ATL started the game with stronger pressure.
ATL Pressure SKC Pressure
⚡
Pressure Index: ATL reached the top pressure at 25' (83.53).

PLAYERS CURRENTLY PLAYING

Match Formation 4-3-3
Match Formation 4-4-2
Pitch

General Information

Date & Time
Competition
2026 Major League Soccer, United States · Regular Season
Stadium
Atlanta Stadium
Capacity
68239
Pitch Surface
Artificial turf
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees
Tori Penso
Brooke Mayo
Walter Heatherly
Rosendo Mendoza

CONCLUSION

Atlanta United has carried its pre-match advantages into the second half and continues to look the more threatening side at minute 47. Superior chance creation and a modest possession lead have allowed the home team to dictate terms while Sporting KC searches for openings that have not yet materialized. The lack of cards has preserved the original tactical shape for both sides and the game remains structured rather than chaotic. Atlanta United appears comfortable managing the tempo and is likely to keep probing for further openings. Sporting KC will need to increase its urgency if it hopes to shift the current balance before the contest reaches its later stages. Overall the live picture supports the view that the stronger side is executing its plan effectively.