In a hard-fought defensive battle, D.C. United earned a point in a 0‑0 draw against Atlanta United FC at Audi Field on Saturday night. The result snaps a three-game losing streak for the Black-and-Red and marks goalkeeper Luis Barraza’s third clean sheet of the MLS season. Despite Atlanta enjoying 58% of possession on the night, D.C. United created the better chances and ultimately outshot the visitors 8–7, showcasing a renewed attacking spark with the return of Christian Benteke to the starting lineup.
The match’s first clear opportunity came early. In the 7th minute, wingback Conner Antley nearly put D.C. ahead with a first-time shot that struck the crossbar. That scare aside, the first half saw few openings for either side, neither team managed a shot on goal before the break. Atlanta controlled stretches of possession with patient buildup, but the Black-and-Red defense held shape well to frustrate the visitors and keep the score 0-0 at halftime.
Both teams raised the tempo in the second half. Atlanta threatened in the 52nd minute when Alexey Miranchuk slipped a pass in for forward Latif "Latte" Lath, who got in behind the defense, but his close-range effort flew over the bar. D.C. United responded with strong attacking momentum of their own. In the 64th minute, defender Matti Peltola sparked a counter-attack off a turnover and fed João Peglow for a shot from the left side of the box, but a recovering Atlanta defender blocked the attempt at the last moment, deflecting it wide for a corner kick. As the Black-and-Red pushed forward, left back David Schnegg consistently patrolled the flank and whipped dangerous crosses into the area, keeping Atlanta’s back line under pressure.
Head Coach Troy Lesesne looked to his bench to maintain the attacking pressure, bringing on fresh legs in the second half. Winger Hosei Kijima entered in the 59th minute to inject pace on the right wing, and forward Dominique Badji came on in the 72nd for Benteke to provide energy up top. D.C. continued to press for a late winner. In the second minute of stoppage time, Kijima’s clever dribbling on the right edge of the penalty area freed him to cut a pass back toward substitute Jackson Hopkins at the top of the box. Hopkins, making his 50th MLS appearance, fired a one-time shot that skidded just wide of the post as the Audi Field crowd held its collective breath. It proved to be the final chance of the match, and the teams settled for a scoreless draw.
Defensively, D.C. United’s back line was organized and resolute. The defensive backline of Conner Antley, Matti Peltola, Lucas Bartlett, Kye Rowles, and David Schnegg anchored the unit, limiting Atlanta to just one shot on target in the match. Goalkeeper Luis Barraza commanded his area well and was called into action only once, comfortably saving a low strike from Atlanta’s Saba Lobjanidze in the 74th minute to preserve the shutout. Barraza’s clean sheet was his third of the 2025 campaign, and it highlighted a much-improved defensive performance by the Black-and-Red.
D.C. United are now 2-5-5 at home in the 2025 MLS season and 4-4-2 all-time against Atlanta United in regular season play at Audi Field. The draw brings United’s overall record to 4-10-7 (19 points). Next up, the Black-and-Red will quickly turn their focus to a midweek cup fixture; a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal away to Nashville SC on Wednesday, July 9 at GEODIS Park before resuming MLS action Saturday, July 12 against LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park.
D.C. United Lineup: Luis Barraza, Conner Antley (Derek Dodson 72'), Matti Peltola, Lucas Bartlett, Kye Rowles, David Schnegg, Boris Enow (Jackson Hopkins 80'), Brandon Servania, Jared Stroud (Hosei Kijima 59'), Christian Benteke (Dominique Badji 72'), João Peglow (Randall Leal 80')
Unused Substitutes: Kim Joon-Hong, Jacob Murrell, Rida Zouhir, Garrison Tubbs
Head Coach: Troy Lesesne
Atlanta United FC Lineup: Brad Guzan, Saba Lobjanidze, Brooks Lennon (Matthew Edwards 76'), Pedro Amador, Efrain Morales, Luis Abram, Miguel Almiron (Luke Brennan 87'), Will Reilly, Mateusz Klich (Tristan Muyumba 76'), Alexey Miranchuk (Jamal Thiare 87'), Latte Lath
Unused Substitutes: Jayden Hibbert, Ronald Hernandez, Noah Cobb, Cayman Togashi, Dominik Chong Qui
Head Coach: Ronny Deila
