KENNESAW, Ga. – Sporting Kansas City II twice took the lead through Enoch Mushagalusa but was twice pegged back by hosts Atlanta United 2 as the sides played to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.

The hosts had the better of possession, but Sporting looked the more dangerous in attack in the early stages. Mushagalusa went close to opening the scoring in the ninth minute as a corner kick by Amadou Dia from the right was held in at the back post and came to the top of the six-yard area where Mushagalusa’s shot was denied by Atlanta goalkeeper Alec Kann.

The visitors went close again in the 23rd minute as Kayden Pierre made an overlapping run down the right and delivered a cross top the top of the six-yard area that Ropapa Mensah turned on frame only to be denied by Kann. Pierre was involved again five minutes before the break as he turned cleverly in midfield past a pair of opponents and pushed forward to play Rojay Smith in for a shot from the right side of the penalty area, but the effort found the side netting.

After a quiet start to the second half, the game sprang to life just past the hour-mark as Sporting took the lead. Mushagalusa ran onto a pass into the left channel outside the penalty area from Mensah and squared up to his defender before cutting onto his right foot inside the box and curling a shot into the far corner of the net.

Atlanta leveled six minutes later as Aiden McFadden delivered a free kick from the left that saw Bradley Kamdem Fewo challenge Sporting goalkeeper Gavin Krenicki for the ball and manage to get his finish over the line. The game swung back the way of SKC II two minutes later, however, as Mushagalusa got his second after driving past a defender in the left side of the penalty area and squeezing home a finish past Kann from close range.

The hosts responded again with 16 minutes to go as a low cross from the left side to the top of the six-yard area was half-cleared by the SKC II defense, but the ball came to the top of the penalty area where Coleman Gannon fired a first-time, left-footed shot into the left corner of the net to level again. Atlanta then threatened to take the lead in the 83rd minute when a training ground corner was played to the top of the penalty area via a dummy near the top-left corner of the box for Chris Allan to take a first-time shot, but Krenicki was equal to the effort and palmed it wide.

David Mejia almost struck for Atlanta moments later as a low cross from the right picked out the young forward alone at the near post, only for his first-time shot to go narrowly wide of the right upright. Sporting also threatened to grab all three points, first as Mushagalusa went after his hat trick with a curling shot from the top of the penalty area that went just wide of the top-right corner and then through a shot from 20 yards by Jacob Davis that fizzed over the crossbar. Neither side would find a winner, however, and the game ended all square.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Enoch Mushagalusa, Sporting Kansas City II – Mushagalusa scored both goals for the visitors and was a threat all night, finishing with six shots overall and six completed dribbles while completing 10 of 13 passes.

Scoring Summary
SKC – Enoch Mushagalusa (Ropapa Mensah) 61’
ATL – Bradley Kamdem Fewo 67’
SKC – Enoch Mushagalusa (Amadou Dia) 69’
ATL – Coleman Gannon 74’

Full Box Score