Recap: Freeman helps Loudoun to 3-1 win over ATL2

Following a hard-luck loss of sorts to San Antonio last Wednesday, Loudoun United had the weekend off and returned to play Saturday night at Segra Field. Hosting an Atlanta United 2 side that was reeling, and while there were some nerves late in the game, they were vanquished as part of a 3-1 win in front of 1,932 home fans.

Loudoun started Jeremy Garay, Jacob Greene, Hayden Sargis and Gaoussou Samaké from D.C. United. Matai Akinmboni and Gavin Turner were at separate United States national team camps, and Abdellatif Aboukoura returned from Egypt U-20 duty to start the game on the bench next to Ignacio Alem and Isaac Espinal. Academy alumni Dane Jacomen and Jean-Christophe Koffi were on the bench as well.

Raimar was behind both goals in Atlanta’s win against Loudoun in their first game, and helped start things off when he fouled Abdoul Zanne in the area leading to a penalty, which Tyler Freeman converted for his team-leading sixth of 2022:

The early goal did not phase ATL2 as Jackson Conway leveled things later in the first half:

Abdoul Zanne managed to get a ball into Tyler Freeman, and his shot was blocked in the ATL area by Orji Chukwuma. Freeman was talked out of taking the kick by Zanne, and well:

Chukwuma and Zanne found themselves in the action again as the former deflected a ball that went over Reyes’ head for a Loudoun lead:

As Loudoun received quick second half stoppage yellows from Luis Zamudio and Alem, they countered deep in stoppage and Garay scored his first pro goal:

“I’m really proud of the guys to rebound from a tough result and tough team in San Antonio, and to come back and get a good win, we’re very happy with that,” Coach Ryan Martin said after the game. “I thought Tyler was very good, he did a really good job finding the ball between the lines, which is something we really wanted from him, Jeremy I think that was his first 90 he’s done this year and he put in a really big shift and I thought defensively he was better than he has been.”

“I played a little higher up, was kind of a false nine, and that’s where I feel most comfortable,” Freeman said after the game. “Everybody put in a good shift and we ended up getting three points out of it.”

“That’s a good showing for us, that we’re developing as a second team under DC,” Jalen Robinson said after the game. “I’m proud of the guys, a win is a win, especially in this league.”

“Just keep going, can we keep building and keep being true to who were are and try to get results,” Martin said when asked of the coming road stretch. “Try to be a little more dangerous around the goal, but just keep going.”

Loudoun (6-15-3, 21 pts) start a stretch where four of their next five games are on the road next week at FC Tulsa on Saturday, August 27 at 8:30 pm.

Box Score

USL Championship Regular Season - Game 24

Loudoun United FC 1 (Freeman 8 (PK), Zanne (PKM) 55, Chukwuma (OG) 68, Garay 90+3)

Atlanta United 2 1 (Conway 22)

Lineups:
Loudoun (4231): Luis Zamudio; Jacob Greene, Jalen Robinson (C), Carson Vom Steeg, Hayden Sargis; Jeremy Garay, Nicky Downs; Abdoul Zanne (Zoumana Diarra 68), Skage Simonsen (Houssou Landry 45), Gaoussou Samaké (Abdellatif Aboukoura 75); Tyler Freeman (Ignacio Alem 85)

ATL2 (442): Vicente Reyes; Erik Centeno (Jonantan Villal 85), Orji Chukwuma, Bryce Washington, Raimar; Luke Brennan, Andre Fortune (C) (Alan Carleton 88), Nicolas Firmino, Toni Tiente; Jackson Conway, Tristan Trager (Darwin Matheus 76)

Bookings:
Loudoun - Zamudio 90, Alem 90+2
ATL2 - Chukwuma 53, Raimar 75