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The Five Stripes began the 2026 preseason portion of their schedule on their recently renovated training ground pitch on Friday, January 30. The opponent, Lexington SC, is a United Soccer League club out of Kentucky, and the purpose of this matchup was for both teams to get some work in against an opponent. The 4-0 victory was a good start to the season, according to manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
“You’re seeing some of the things we’re working on. It was a good start,” Martino said to the media after the match. Martino called the opponent and the overall match good and complimented the individual play of several players.
For Atlanta United, one of the best-supported teams in Major League Soccer, Friday was an opportunity to put the 2025 season behind them and begin again.
The match began at 1 p.m., and from the first minute, Atlanta United pressed forward on offense. The ball was moving quickly, and the shots were headed towards the Lexington SC goal in a hurry. Atlanta United went ahead 1-0 in the 11th minute after a misplayed pass landed in front of the Lexington SC goal.
Miguel Almiron, the former and current Five Stripes superstar, nearly scored the second goal of the match in the 17th minute. His shot came flying off his lime green boots and flew over the net, but the goal (pardon the pun) was clear: This team was going for glory while on the pitch.
You can’t honestly use the level of play, and with all due respect, the level of competition during this match, as evidence that Atlanta United, under new (and old) manager Martino, was back. But it was actual soccer, and for players like Pedro Amador, Tristan Muyumba, and Luke Brennan, it was winning soccer on the pitch.
Almiron scored the third goal of the match, and Alexey Miranchuk scored the fourth goal in the 37th and 42nd minutes of the match. The goal-scoring opportunities came as the ball was moving up the field in a way that wasn’t always seen last season.
On the other side of the ball, new goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos could be heard barking orders from the back. Along with Jayden Hibbert, Hoyos will be needed to get over the retirement of former goalkeeper and MLS All-Star Brad Guzan, who was seen walking the grounds hours before the match. Guzan was recently hired as the team’s Club Ambassador and Sporting Advisor.
Martino was asked about the play of both Hoyos and Hibbert, and said both players did their jobs under different circumstances.
“I think defensively, they didn’t have a lot to do, but in the build-up, we were able to see what they could do, especially in the first half when the opponent was pressing,” Martino said. “In the second half, Jayden didn’t have as much of an opportunity because the opponent had dropped off and weren’t pressing as much.”
Hibbert started the second half, and defenders Stian Gregersen and Matt Edwards were also in the lineup. It is not an understatement to say that Gregersen and Edwards are going to be crucial to this team’s success this season. Both players missed time with injuries during the 2025 season. Gregersen was constantly hampered with a nick here, a spring there, and was missed while he was out. His ability to drive the ball forward from a defensive position makes him a very valuable asset when on the pitch.
In the 63rd minute, Gregersen released a long pass from deep down the sideline that almost found a teammate on a run. That same pass to Brennan or Almiron or Emmanuel Latte Lath during a regular-season match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium would have ended in a goal or corner kick for Atlanta United.
Young defender Dominik Chong Qui also looked good during the second half. The young defender spent time between Atlanta United and Atlanta United 2 last season.
What’s Next:
Next on the schedule will be MLS opponent, the Houston Dynamo, on Saturday, February 7. That match will take place at 8 p.m. on the Dynamo’s home turf, the Shell Energy Stadium in Houston.
Atlanta United will remain in Texas, playing matches against Red Bull New York on Wednesday, February 11 (noon), and on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14 (1 p.m.). Both matches will take place at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
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