Atlanta United fell 2-1 to Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night in the last home match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium before the FIFA World Cup break. Atlanta United Homegrown Jay Fortune scored his first goal of the season, but two late goals from Gabriel Pec earned the visitors the victory.
There are moments in a young player’s career that stay with you because they arrive quietly, almost before you realize how important they are. For Ajani Fortune, one of those moments came on March 11, 2023, in Charlotte, in his home state, on a humid afternoon that seemed to hang in the air. He stood on the sideline for Atlanta United, waiting for his first Major League Soccer minutes, and when his number went up, the wait gave way to something bigger: arrival.
The match against Columbus Crew on Sunday, April 4, brought a different kind of arrival, but it carried a familiar feeling. After a long injury layoff, he stood on the sideline again, watching the game from a place he never wanted to be, trusting the work that had brought him back. What stood out most was not just the return itself, but the resilience behind it. Injuries can take away rhythm, confidence, and momentum, but they also reveal character. Ajani’s comeback was not only about getting back on the field; it was about the patience, discipline, and inner strength it took to earn that moment again.
It’s hard not to notice the people who make moments like these possible. Coaches, trainers, teammates, medical staff, family, and supporters all play a crucial role in a journey like this, and gratitude is the appropriate response. That’s what makes tonight so special. After returning from injury a month ago, Fortune scored his first goal of the season, and ended his goal celebration by acknowledging a trainer. Even though eight matches have passed since his return, the Atlanta United Homegrown still chose to celebrate with his trainer, part of the village that made his return to the pitch possible.
His goal, which came in the 69th minute, shifted the momentum of the match in their favor and put LA Galaxy on their heels. But the Trinidadian international understood how quickly things can change in a match.
“I think it comes down to understanding match management a little bit. Obviously, you want to go for the second and third goal, but at the same time, we have to ensure the victory,” said Jay Fortune post-match. Five minutes after he scored, LA Galaxy’s “We talked about it before the match, [the LA Galaxy] are most dangerous in transition, and then they get two goals out of [transition moments], so I think we just need to understand the match better.”
Before tonight, Atlanta United was on a three-match winning streak, beating Toronto FC, Charlotte FC, and CF Montréal. With the final three matches before the FIFA World Cup break on the road, the Five Stripes will be looking to get back to winning ways.
“The last three or four matches have been better, so it is just about getting back to our fundamentals, which I think were there for most of the match [tonight],” Fortune began. “But we have to see it out for 90 minutes, do the right thing, be smart with the way that we see matches out, and be sure that when we have the lead that we do everything to keep it.”
Atlanta United will travel to Orlando to face Orlando City SC next Saturday, May 16, at 7:30 PM/ET.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of ATLUTD