BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (Sept. 28, 2025) - Atlanta United 2 earned a vital 5-2 win at Chicago Fire FC II to earn three points before MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day. Gabriel Wesseh scored and provided two assists, and Patrick Weah scored twice as Atlanta sits in ninth place, one point off of a playoff spot.
Atlanta started early by earning a penalty kick in the 12th minute. Weah was sent through one-on-one off a long throw inside Chicago's half, and the Liberian was taken down after his first touch. Weah stepped up and sent Owen Pratt the wrong way, scoring his eighth goal of the season in the bottom-right corner.
The 5-Stripes continued to pressure Chicago offensively throughout the first half and it paid off in the 32nd minute. Santiago Pita played a ball over the top for Weah one-on-one, and he cut it back before Wesseh arrived in support. Weah tapped it to Wesseh for a Liberian combination, and Wesseh curled a one-touch shot from the left that tapped the back post and went in.
Ten minutes later, Atlanta extended its lead to 3-0. The attacking line pressed Chicago deep in its own half, and Wesseh poached Chase Nagle inside the box and raced toward goal. The 17-year-old tried to shoot it, but it was saved only to land for Weah in front of an open net, who slotted in the sitter.
On the stroke of halftime, Chicago earned a penalty after a ball struck the hand of Ronan Wynne. Jason Shokalook scored in the bottom-left corner to pull one back at the break.
Sal Mazzaferro added a fourth in the 63rd minute. Wesseh played a corner to the near post where the captain met it unmarked, looping the header into the back post to score his third of the season.
In the 85th minute, the young substitutes combined for Atlanta's fifth. Arif Kovac received a through ball from Ignacio Suarez-Couri, dribbled around Pratt and placed it in an open net to scored his first professional goal. Dylan Borso scored for Chicago in the final minute of regulation, but it wasn't enough as the 5-Stripes earned a crucial three points in the race for an MLS NEXT Pro playoff spot.
Atlanta United 2 (9-9-8, 37 points) returns to action Sunday, Oct. 5 when it travels to Chattanooga FC at Finley Stadium (1 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass, Soccer Down Here). Some ATL UTD 2 matches are available with an MLS Season Pass subscription, located on the Apple TV app while the remainder of matches are streamed live on MLSNEXTPro.com.
