Atlanta United’s Chris Goslin assisted on the game-tying goal and Andrew Carleton came close to scoring twice as the MLS team tied Chivas U-20 2-2 in the Homegrown Game on Tuesday at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.
Goslin earned the assist as Kortne Ford scored the tying goal for the MLS in the final seconds. The Homegrown team had just one practice together before Tuesday’s game.
“I played a decent ball in and Kortne got a head on it,” Goslin said.
Tuesday was the warmup for Wednesday’s main course when the MLS All-Stars, including Atlanta United’s Miguel Almiron, Michael Parkhurst and Greg Garza, will play Real Madrid at Soldier Field.
Carleton, 17 and a native of Powder Springs, was the first Homegrown Player in Atlanta United’s history. Goslin, 17 and a native of Locust Grove, was the second.
Both performed well individually and as a team on Tuesday against Chivas, the champions of LIGA MX’s U-20 division.
“I think we did well,” Goslin said. “We did what we were good at: moving the ball.”
Carleton has played as a sub in one league game for Atlanta United this season, and also started in the U.S. Open Cup loss at Miami. Goslin has yet to play.
Carleton started and bounced between the right and left wings in the first half of Tuesday’s game. He said he and Brooks Lennon, on loan from Liverpool at Real Salt Lake, struck up a friendship during the EA Sports Challenge on Monday and talked about how they like to switch sides during a game. So, they did that on Tuesday.
Carleton got into a few dangerous situations on the left in the first half, but his final pass didn’t always connect.
He had a chance to shoot in the 25th minute when he ran onto a pass in the penalty box, but he couldn’t get the ball into a good position and was tackled.
Carleton just missed a goal in the 32nd minute when his shot was cleared off the line by a diving Chivas player. After hitting the player, the ball almost spun back into the goal. Instead, it went out for a corner kick.
“I don’t know he got his heel on the end of that,” Carleton said. “I thougth it was in. The defender did a great job.”
The play started with Carleton cutting in from the right and hitting a left-footed pass to play Derrick Etienne into space on the right. Etienne’s low, hard shot was spilled by the Chivas goalkeeper, which allowed Jordan Hamilton to run in and take a shot. That bounced off the keeper and to Carleton, who took his shot from near the top of the penalty box.
Carleton also worked hard on defense. Though beaten a few times, he made a key tackle in the corner in the second half to stop a cross and attacking situation.
Carleton was denied another goal-scoring opportunity in the 55th minute when his volley hit his own teammate, who couldn’t get out of the way in time. There were too many people in the way so Carleton said he just blasted the shot to see what would happen. He was subbed out in the second half.
Goslin came on in the second half.
Both players will leave for Portland, Ore. to join the U.S. U-17 national team in Portland on Saturday. Carleton said they will play two friendlies there. The team will also train in the Czech Republic as part of preparation for the U-17 World Cup, which will be played in India in early October. The U.S. will open against India on Oct. 6.
Because of the preparations for the tournament, there’s a chance that neither player will get to attend Atlanta United’s first game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 10 against FC Dallas. Carleton said he is hoping the team will allow them to return from training camp in Bradenton, Fla. for the inaugural contest.
“It’s going to be a busy few months,” Carleton said.
Carleton said he and Goslin will continue to work hard when training with Atlanta United should manager Gerardo Martino need them.
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