Atlanta United vs Lexington SC: Preseason Match Thread and How to Watch

The Five Stripes’ preseason slate gets underway at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground with the first of four friendlies in preparation for the 2026 season under Tata Martino. Atlanta United will play host to USL Championship side Lexington SC (Sporting Club, not South Carolina) in their only preseason match outside of the three scheduled as part of the Torneo de Tejas between February 7th and 9th.

While closed to the public, fans can still get a glimpse of Tata’s new-look Atlanta squad through the club’s live streaming on atlutd.com/live. The stream will include a prematch, halftime, and postmatch show from the recently opened Emory Healthcare Studio at the club’s facility, starting at 12:45 p.m. The match was moved up from its originally scheduled 11:00 a.m. kickoff time.

Atlanta and Lexington share a few common links, one in former Atlanta United 2 manager Steve Cooke, who departed the club to take on the role of Academy and Youth Technical Director at the Kentucky based organization. Others include a couple familiar faces in versatile midfielder Nick Firmino, who enters his second season with the club, and forward Phillip Goodrum, who joined in December for a “six figure transfer fee” after two successful seasons with Louisville City.

Firmino spent three years with Atlanta United between the first and second team, making fourteen first team appearances, including a dramatic stoppage time equalizer against NYCFC in 2023 on his MLS debut. Goodrum, meanwhile, was selected 75th overall by Atlanta United in the 2020 Superdraft, and spent two years with Atlanta United 2. MLS veterans like Cory Burke and Latif Blessing also feature in the Lexington roster giving Atlanta their first test of the new year.

While still early on in preparations, and with many tweaks and tactical preparation to come, we’ll still be able to add fuel to the many questions surrounding Tata’s plans for the team, inluding formations, personnel decisions, and more. Match format may vary, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a three 30 minute segmented match as teams continue to build fitness levels. Stay tuned to Scarves and Spikes across social media, and keep it here for discussion as we tune in this afternoon to see Atlanta United’s first touches of 2026.

Atlanta United’s Lineup:

Lexington SC’s Lineup:

How to Watch:

Venue: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground, Marietta, Georgia

Kickoff Time: Friday, January 1st; 1:00 p.m. ET

Available TV/Streaming: atlutd.com/live

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