Atlanta, GA
FC Cincinnati draws 2-2 with Atlanta behind two second-half goals from Evander
Playing without one of its two headline-making new stars on offense, FC Cincinnati produced a 2-2 draw Saturday with a quick burst of brilliance from the other.
Evander, a 26-year old Brazilian whom FC Cincinnati acquired from the Portland Timbers before the season, scored twice in a six-minute span in the second half as the Orange and Blue rallied from a 1-0 deficit to tie Atlanta United FC. Atlanta scored a late goal to salvage the draw.
Cincinnati is now 2-1-2 on the season for seven points, avoiding a second straight defeat in MLS play. Cincinnati stood in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with six points entering play, with 12 games kicking off later Saturday.
Cincinnati persevered without its star striker transfer Kévin Denkey, who played for Togo in a World Cup qualifying match earlier Saturday. Denkey scored the tying goal in the second half as Togo drew 2-2 with Mauritania.
Fans at TQL Stadium got to see Atlanta’s headline-making transfer Emmanuel Latte Lath open his Cincinnati account. Latte Lath, a 26-year old from the Ivory Coast, scored his fourth goal of the season in the 50th minute to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead.
Atlanta signed him with a reported record $22 million transfer fee from Middlesbrough in England’s Championship league. He has four of the five goals this season for Atlanta, which dropped to 1-1-3.
Evander tied the game for FC Cincinnati in the 70th minute with a free kick from 24 yards. He fired an accurate laser up the middle that Atlanta keeper Brad Guzan appeared to lose in the sun.
Six minutes later, Evander took a pass near the penalty spot at the 12-yard mark, and while falling off balance to his left, he directed the ball inside the far post with his right foot to give Cincinnati a 2-1 lead.
Atlanta tied it in the 89th minute when a crossing pass deflected off Cincinnati’s Alvas Powell and inside the post.
It was a key early match for both teams
The match paired two clubs who are expected to contend for first place in the Eastern Conference but who have had their struggles so far in the 2025 MLS season. Atlanta entered the day 12th in the East with four points and had eight members of its first-team roster gone for international play.
FC Cincinnati faced Atlanta using a different back line without two of its regular starters. Miles Robinson was a late scratch due to illness and Teenage Hadebe was unavailable as the Zimbabwe native is in his home country working on getting a green card.
Nick Hagglund recorded his 120th career start for the Orange and Blue, and 176th all-time MLS start. He took the middle of the back line with Lukas Engel and Alvas Powell on the outside.
At halftime, Hagglund was replaced by Corey Baird, with DeAndre Yedlin moving to the back line.
The first half was fast-paced with 12 shots and 19 fouls
The first half was fast-paced and physical, with 19 total fouls and three injury stoppages. Kubo and center back Lukas Engel received yellow cards for Cincinnati.
Atlanta had seven shots to five for FC Cincinnati.
Seven minutes in, Atlanta star winger Saba hit the post on a laser from about 25 yards out. Moments later, FC Cincinnati just missed scoring from a deflection off a free kick by Evander.
Brad Guzan, a 40-year old playing his 305th MLS game in goal, 235th for Atlanta, made a tough save on Nick Hagglund from close range.
In the 16th minute, FC Cincinnati’ sLuca Orellano, celebrating his 25th birthday, had a free kick from the side of the 18 punched out by Guzan.
In the 35th minute, Cincy keeper Roman Celantano made a diving save at the goal line on Xande Silva.
In stoppage time, Guzan saved a 25-yard shot by Evander and Celantano made a tough save on a corner kick.
The tempo continued in the second half. Cincinnati ended with 14 shots to 12 for Atlanta, and the teams combined for 29 fouls.
The match was the fourth straight time FC Cincinnati has played to a draw at home during an afternoon kickoff. The team had three 0-0 draws last season in the afternoon at TQL Stadium. FC Cincinnati has two wins, four losses and now five draws in 11 day home games all-time at TQL.
What’s next for FC Cincinnati?
It was the first time FC Cincinnati has had a full week between games since the beginning of the season Feb. 19.
Counting its four games in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Orange and Blue had played eight games in the first 25 days of the 2025 season.
Now that FC Cincinnati has been eliminated from the Champions Cup, the team will only have weekend MLS games until it plays at Toronto FC on Wednesday, May 14.
FC Cincy next plays at Nashville Saturday, March 29, then returns home to face New England April 5. Nashville is 2-1-1, fifth in the Eastern Conference with seven points entering a home game against Montreal Saturday night.
NASCAR O’Reilly race results from EchoPark Speedway
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series drivers are on the grid in Hampton, Georgia. The 1.54-mile of EchoPark Speedway is set to host the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250.
View Atlanta race results for the NASCAR O’Reilly Series below.
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Sam Mayer and Carson Kvapil set the front row. 163 laps of stock car racing are up next…
Atlanta O’Reilly
Stage 1 – Report
Laps: 45 (1-45 / 163)
Green flag, they run side-by-side for the lead off turn two. Mayer is clear via the outside lane with help from Sheldon Creed.
Lap 5, Corey Day makes it three wide through the middle off turn four. They’re out of room and we have a big crash in the tri-oval. Many cars are collected and the caution is out.
Green, Mayer and Taylor Gray run side-by-side at the front. They bang fenders and Mayer has a light tire rub! Several laps later, Mayer is clear via the outside lane.
Lap 27, Mayer has a flat tire, no caution. They form three wide for the lead as Mayer drops out of line. Caruth slides them for the lead.
Penalty: Mayer has been caught speeding on the pit lane. He’ll serve a pass-thru penalty under green.
Lap 31, Jesse Love clears Caruth. Caruth crosses under him and retakes the lead.
Lap 32, Love is shoved to the lead with a push from Sheldon Creed.
1 to go in stage one, Love blocks runs from both lanes behind him.
Jesse Love wins stage one at EchoPark Speedway!
Atlanta Results (Stage 1) : 1. Jesse Love; 2. Rajah Caruth; 3. Parker Retzlaff; 4. Taylor Gray; 5. Justin Allgaier; 6. Sheldon Creed; 7. Carson Kvapil; 8. Nick Sanchez; 9. Jeremy Clements; 10. Ross Chastain
Atlanta O’Reilly
Stage 2 – Report
Laps: 45 (46-90 / 163)
Green flag on stage two, Love and Creed run door-to-door for the lead. Lover is clear via the inside lane into turn three.
Lap 63, Creed works to the outside of Love. Creed is clear for the lead.
Lap 73, Caruth makes it three wide for the lead. Caruth is clear.
Lap 74, Gio Ruggiero picks up a flat tire and he heads to the pit lane under green.
Rajah Caruth wins stage two at EchoPark Speedway!
Atlanta Results (Stage 2) : 1. Rajah Caruth; 2. Justin Allgaier; 3. Carson Kvapil; 4. Corey Day; 5. Brandon Jones; 6. Sammy Smith; 7. Austin Hill; 8. Parker Retzalff; 9. Sheldon Creed; 10. Jesse Love
Atlanta O’Reilly
Stage 3 – Report
Laps: 73 (91-163 / 163)
Caruth leads the field to the pit lane. Sawalich wins the race to the pit exit with just two tires.
Green flag on stage three, Allgaier shoves Kvapil to the lead on the inside.
59 to go, Day dives inside of Kvapil. Day misses the bottom and he’s into the side of Kvapil. Allgaier and others are collected. The caution is out as Austin Hill is handed the lead.
Green, Creed shoves Hill clear out front.
42 to go, Jeremy Clements spins and clips the inside wall, no caution.
38 to go, caution for debris.
Green, Creed shoves Hill clear once more. Love clears Creed into turn three for 2nd.
27 to go
27 to go, Love dives inside of Hill but he can’t clear him. They rub bumpers and Hill is loose! Creed clears them both for the lead!
25 to go, Ross Chastain makes it three wide for the lead off turn two! Chastain is clear!
22 to go, Sammy Smith spins with a flat tire! Multiple cars are collected, caution.
Green, Chastain and Hill form side-by-side at the front. Laps later, Creed shoves Chastain clear.
12 to go, Rajah Caruth nearly spins off turn two with a flat tire. Josh William gets turned and he bounces off the wall, caution.
Green with 6 to go, Creed shoves Chastain to the lead. off turn two.
4 to go, Nick Sanchez climbs to 2nd. He looks to the outside, Chastain throws a block.
2 to go, Chastain leads Hill and Creed. Hill dives inside of Chastain and he clear him.
1 to go, Creed gives a shove to Chastain. Chastain dives inside, Hill throws a huge block! Hill is turned into the apron. Creed leads off turn four!
Sheldon Creed picks up his first career win via EchoPark Speedway!
EchoPark Speedway
Race Results
February 21, 2026
NASCAR O’Reilly Series
Pos | Driver
1. Sheldon Creed
2. Parker Retzlaff
3. Nick Sanchez
4. Corey Day
5. Jesse Love
6. Ross Chastain
7. Sam Mayer
8. Rajah Caruth
9. Taylor Gray
10. Brandon Jones
11. Dean Thompson
12. Austin Hill
13. Patrick Staropoli
14. Garrett Smithley
15. Josh Bilicki
16. Jeb Burton
17. Chad Finchum
18. Nick Leitz
19. Brennan Poole
20. Luke Fenhaus
21. Austin Green
22. Ryan Ellis
23. William Sawalich
24. Giovanni Ruggiero
25. Anthony Alfredo
26. Mason Maggio
27. Josh Williams
28. Lavar Scott
29. Jeremy Clements
30. Sammy Smith
31. Cody Ware
32. Carson Kvapil
33. Justin Allgaier
34. Joey Gase
35. Harrison Burton
36. Blaine Perkins
37. Ryan Sieg
38. Kyle Sieg
NASCAR O’Reilly Series
Point Standings
Pos | Driver | Points
1. Austin Hill
104
2. Rajah Caruth
-22
3. Sheldon Creed
-24
4. Jesse Love
-24
5. Parker Retzlaff
-30
6. Justin Allgaier
-35
7. Carson Kvapil
-40
8. Corey Day
-54
9. Sammy Smith
-56
10. Ryan Ellis
-58
11. Taylor Gray
-60
12. Brennan Poole
-61
EchoPark Speedway
Video Highlights
Links
EchoPark Speedway | NASCAR
Unfortunately, rain showers and lightning prevented NASCAR from holding Cup Series qualifying on Saturday morning. Instead, the metric will set the starting lineup. The system was slightly altered for 2026, so now it’s just an average of the car’s place in the owner standings (30%), and the entry’s finish in the most recent race (70%).
As a result, championship leader and Daytona 500 winner Tyler Reddick will start from pole position on Sunday, and the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota granted the preferred pit box for the second race of the 2026 season. Joey Logano, who won his Duel race and finished third (while crashing) in the 500, will join him on the front row in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will start third, Chase Elliott fourth, and Brad Keselowski fifth. Zane Smith, Chris Buescher, Riley Herbst, Bubba Wallace, and Josh Berry will fill out the remainder of the top ten.
Some notables starting outside the top 20 include Ross Chastain in 21st, Ryan Blaney 22nd, Ryan Preece 26th, Shane van Gisbergen 28th, Denny Hamlin 29th, Austin Cindric 30th, Connor Zilisch 31st, Christopher Bell 32nd, Chase Briscoe 34th, and Alex Bowman 36th.
Full starting lineup for NASCAR Cup at Atlanta
An Atlantic Station hotel was evacuated on Friday after officials say a power outage caused serious issues with the building’s water.
The Atlanta Fire Department said the power disruption led to “unpotable water conditions” at Twelve Midtown Hotel on 17th Street.
According to a letter sent to the building’s management, Fire Marshal Deteric Cummings said that the “prolonged power outage” has affected the building’s water system, which is dependent on pumping equipment powered by electricity.
“The resulting loss of potable water to residential units poses and immediate danger to life stemming from unsafe sanitation conditions and associated public health risks within the occupied residential areas of the high-rise structure,” Cummings wrote.
The evacuation will continue until crews are able to restore clean water to the building.
“AFRD personnel are actively engaged on scene andworking alongside building management and utility partners to ensure the safety of all occupants,” the fire department told CBS News Atlanta. “Georgia Power is working around the clock to resolve the power issue.”
Authorities have not shared details about what caused the power outage.
The building’s management is reportedly working with residents and guests to provide them alternative housing while the situation continues.
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