SP
BravenNow
Denkey, Hagglund Lead FC Cincinnati 2-0 Past Atlanta United in MLS Season Opener
| USA | sports | ✓ Verified - foxsports.com

Denkey, Hagglund Lead FC Cincinnati 2-0 Past Atlanta United in MLS Season Opener

#FC Cincinnati #Atlanta United #MLS #Denkey #Hagglund #Martino #Season Opener #Evander

📌 Key Takeaways

  • FC Cincinnati defeated Atlanta United 2-0 in their MLS season opener
  • Kévin Denkey and Nick Hagglund scored the decisive late goals
  • FC Cincinnati lost key player Evander to a hamstring injury early in the match
  • Atlanta United debuted under new manager Gerardo 'Tato' Martino

📖 Full Retelling

Kévin Denkey and Nick Hagglund scored late goals to lead FC Cincinnati to a 2-0 victory over Atlanta United in their MLS regular season opener on Saturday, February 22, 2026. The match marked the beginning of the new season for both teams in the competitive Eastern Conference. In the 80th minute, Denkey capitalized on an assist from Ender Echenique, skillfully faking out goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos before finishing with his left foot between a pair of defenders. Hagglund sealed the win with a header from a Bryan Ramirez corner kick in the 90th minute, providing Cincinnati with a commanding lead as the match approached its conclusion. The victory was particularly significant given the injuries both teams faced during the match, including FC Cincinnati losing 2025 MVP finalist Evander to a hamstring injury just 13 minutes into the game, and Hagglund's previous serious injury suffered against Atlanta the previous season.

🏷️ Themes

Soccer, MLS, Season Opener, Team Performance

📚 Related People & Topics

Atlanta United FC

American professional soccer club

Atlanta United Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Domestically, the club has won one MLS Cup, one U.S. Open Cup, and one Eastern Conference championship.

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗

Hägglund

Surname list

Hägglund is a Swedish surname.

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗
Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer

Professional soccer league in the United States and Canada

Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation. MLS is one of the major professio...

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗

FC Cincinnati

American professional soccer club based in Cincinnati

Football Club Cincinnati is an American professional soccer club based in Cincinnati. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team was first announced on August 12, 2015, as a United Soccer League (USL) franchise which played from 2016 to 2018.

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗

Entity Intersection Graph

Connections for Atlanta United FC:

👤 Gerardo Martino 1 shared
🌐 Major League Soccer 1 shared
🌐 FC Cincinnati 1 shared
👤 Nick Hagglund 1 shared
View full profile

Deep Analysis

Why It Matters

FC Cincinnati starts their 2026 MLS season with a crucial 2-0 victory over a conference rival, setting a positive tone for their campaign. The win is especially significant as it comes against a new-look Atlanta United under high-profile manager Gerardo Martino.

Context & Background

  • Nick Hagglund scored against the same team that injured him with broken ribs and a collapsed lung less than a year prior.
  • FC Cincinnati lost their star player, 2025 MVP finalist Evander, to a hamstring injury just 13 minutes into the match.
  • This was the first competitive match for new Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino, a former Barcelona and Argentina coach.

What Happens Next

FC Cincinnati will look to build on this momentum in their next MLS fixture, while managing Evander's hamstring injury. Atlanta United under Martino will aim to quickly implement his system and bounce back from the opening loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who scored for FC Cincinnati?

Kevin Denkey and Nick Hagglund scored the goals for FC Cincinnati.

What was significant about Nick Hagglund's goal?

Hagglund scored against the team that caused him a serious injury (broken ribs, collapsed lung) in May 2025.

Who is Atlanta United's new manager?

Atlanta United's new manager is Gerardo Martino, who previously coached Barcelona, Argentina, and Inter Miami.

Original Source
- No Data Available - BROWSE BY SPORTS & TEAMS PLAYERS SHOWS PERSONALITIES TOPICS Built on MLS MLS Denkey, Hagglund Lead FC Cincinnati 2-0 Past Atlanta United in MLS Season Opener Updated Feb. 22, 2026 1:58 a.m. ET share facebook x reddit link Kevin Denkey and Nick Hagglund scored late goals to lead FC Cincinnati to a 2-0 win over Atlanta United FC in an MLS regular season opener for both teams on Saturday. In the 80th minute, Denkey received an assist from Ender Echenique , faking out goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos before finishing with his left foot between a pair of defenders. FC Cincinnati vs. Atlanta United FC Highlights | MLS | FOX Soccer Hagglund doubled their tally with a header from a Bryan Ramirez corner in the 90th minute. Hagglund suffered two broken ribs and a collapsed lung against Atlanta in on May 25 last year, missing more than two months. Cincinnati lost 2025 MVP finalist Evander due to a hamstring injury 13 minutes into the game. He was replaced by Gerardo Valenzuela . Denkey missed a golden chance in the 56th minute. After a turnover from center back Juan Berrocal fell to Denkey, he had a one-on-one chance with Hoyos, but hit the outside of the right post. It was the first game for Atlanta United manager Gerardo "Tato" Martino, the former Argentina and Barcelona manager who most recently managed Inter Miami from 2023-24 and coached Lionel Messi at all three stops. Reporting by The Associated Press.
Read full article at source

Source

foxsports.com

More from USA

News from Other Countries

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇺🇦 Ukraine