AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Substitute Jamal Thiaré scored in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to lift Atlanta into a 1-1 draw with Austin on Wednesday night.
Thiaré tapped in after Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver failed to stop an attempt by Saba Lobjanidze and Thiaré beat the Austin defenders to the ball for the equalizer.
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Brandon Vazquez scored on a free kick early in the second half to give Austin a 1-0 lead. Vázquez scored from free kick with a right-footed shot from the central position outside the box to the upper right central zone.
Austin’s Stuver had four saves and Brad Guzan saved five shots for Atlanta.
Each team had three shots on goal in the scoreless first half. Austin had a possession percentage of 57%.
The match was the first of three home matches in eight days for Austin, two in the league and one in the U.S. Open Cup.
Austin (5-6-2, 17 points) hosts Vancouver on Saturday.
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Atlanta (2-6-5, 11 points) hosts Philadelphia on Saturday. ___
ATLANTA, GA — Two people are dead following a fiery crash on Interstate 75 in Atlanta, according to police.
The crash occurred shortly before 3:15 a.m. Saturday on southbound I-75 near Cleveland Avenue Southwest. According to police, a Kia Sportage was traveling on I-75 when the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to exit at Cleveland Avenue.
Police said the vehicle left the roadway, hit a pole and subsequently caught fire.
Two unidentified occupants of the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene.
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Investigators with the Atlanta Police Department Accident Investigations Unit responded to the scene to determine what led to the crash. The investigation into the collision is ongoing.
An Atlanta chef allegedly shot two teenagers who were suspected of trying to steal packages outside his home in broad daylight.
Rakim Bradford was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony after he opened fire on the boys, ages 15 and 16, at his townhouse in the Mays neighborhood, southwest of Downtown Atlanta, on Thursday around 3:40 p.m.
Bradford, the head chef at an area IHOP, according to his LinkedIn, was at his home on the 700 block of Celeste Lane SW when he noticed the teens near his front porch, Atlanta Police said.
Rakim Bradford was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm for the shooting on Dec. 11, 2025. Fox 5 Atlanta/YouTube
Officials believe the teens had traveled to the Villages of Cascade complex, where they spotted a delivery van and followed it, according to Atlanta News First, citing Bradford’s arrest warrant.
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“After the packages were dropped, they agreed to steal that package from the front of the residence,” the warrant stated.
Bradford caught the teens going for the packages and allegedly shot the pair before they could steal the delivery.
“We believe a property crime was occurring, that some packages were being taken off a front porch, which is common this time of year,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters. “The homeowner did discharge his weapon to stop that theft of packages.”
The unidentified 15-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to the right foot. Officers later found the 16-year-old suffering from a gunshot to the right arm.
Police believe the teens attempted to steal packages from Bradford’s front porch before the shooting broke out.Police investigate the shooting that broke out in a townhouse complex at around 3:40 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2025. WLBTAtlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum speaks to reporters after the shooting in southwest Atlanta on Dec. 11, 2025. Atlanta Police Department
He was transported to the hospital in critical condition before undergoing surgery. The teen is expected to survive.
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“The Atlanta Police Department takes gun violence very seriously,” Schierbaum said. “Anytime a child is injured in our city, we really take that really seriously. We want to make sure they know what’s happening.”
Bradford was detained after the shooting and brought in for questioning.
Officials ruled out a home invasion and didn’t announce any charges against the two teens.
Neighbors warned potential porch pirates of stealing packages from other homes.
“Don’t go and steal people’s packages,” Andrew Julian told the outlet. “On the other side of that, what right do you have to defend your own home, and then what decision do you make to defend your own home based on somebody taking an item off of your porch? So, it’s certainly a conversation to be had.”
Clint Dempsey on measure of success for the US in upcoming World Cup
USMNT legend Clint Demspey breaks down what he considers to be the measure of success for the team as they prepare to host the upcoming World Cup.
Sports Seriously
Are you trying to find a short-term rental in Atlanta for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on match day?
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The players on the field won’t be the only ones facing fierce competition.
In the days since the announcement of the group stage match-ups last week, demand for short term rentals in Atlanta has skyrocketed, reaching nearly a 5000% increase in some neighborhoods.
In a report published by AirDNA — a vacation rental analysis group that uses data from companies like Aibnb, VRBO and rental partners — researchers compared searches for short-term rentals in Atlanta in June and July 2025 to searches for the coming year during the same time period.
Here is what they found.
These Atlanta neighborhoods have highest demand
AirDNA found that in the city of Atlanta, the year-over-year change in demand for short term rentals for the dates of the group stage games increased 286% overall, as of Dec. 10.
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For the round of 32 date, demand went up 351% from 2025 to 2026. During the round of 16, the demand was up 284%. The semi-final match led to an increase in demand of 213%.
For specific neighborhoods, the year-over-year increase in nightly demand for rentals was astronomical.
Here are the top 10:
Chosewood Park — 4450%
Buckhead — 2400%
Atlanta University Center/ Vine City — 1911%
Cabbagetown — 1833%
Edgewood — 1638%
Ben Hill — 1200%
Bankhead — 1141%
Grant Park — 1044%
Downtown Atlanta — 1034%
North Druid Hills — 900%
More than 30 other neighborhoods and cities in the greater Atlanta metro area saw increases in nightly demand by more than 200%.
Only six areas — Doraville, Brookhaven/North Buckhead, Douglasville, Powder Springs, Vinnings and Chamblee — saw a decrease in nightly demand for match days compared to 2025.
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Rentals for night before also in high demand
When AirDNA compared demand for the night before a match versus the night after, the demand was similar if not higher in some cases.
The demand for rentals on June 14, the day before the first group stage match, is the same for demand on June 15 when the match is actually played, the data shows.
On June 20, however, demand for a rental in Atlanta overall is higher than on June 21, the day of the third group stage match.
Overall demand in Atlanta stays high once the World Cup begins, with some slower breaks in between the later tournament matches.
Can I still get World Cup tickets for Atlanta matches?
The Random Selection Draw period is on now for specific match tickets. Spectators hoping to see a specific match can request to enter the drawing through the FIFA ticketing website.
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Tickets are also available for some of the more elaborate World Cup experiences, as well as through packages from Qatar Airlines. Tickets will open for resale on Dec. 15.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
