MLS Atlanta United FC

Four Atlanta United Unified Players Selected to Represent Special Olympics USA at the Special Olympics Unified Cup 2022

Published on July 29, 2022 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Atlanta United FC News Release


ATLANTA - Atlanta United is proud to announce that four players from its Unified Team will be part of the Special Olympics USA male and female Unified soccer teams at the Special Olympics Unified Cup 2022, being held July 31 - August 6 in Detroit, Michigan. This marks the first time the Atlanta United Unified Team, presented by Gallagher, will have players represented at Unified Cup.

Athletes Steven Russell and Liam Stuart and partner Dylan Lenze will feature on the USA Men's Unified Team while partner Vienna Lundstedt will feature on the USA Women's Unified Team.

Special Olympics teams from 24 countries have been selected to participate in the Unified Cup 2022 presented by Toyota and supported by Hometown Sponsor, Ally Financial.

Special Olympics USA will be represented by two composite Unified teams in Detroit, one all-male 11-a-side team and one all-female 7-a-side team. Athletes and Unified partners were selected to be part of Special Olympics USA after being nominated by their Special Olympics Program and local MLS Club and completing interviews and virtual tryouts.

Participants will represent the Special Olympics Unified Sports® Soccer Exchange Program, a collaboration since 2014 between Major League Soccer, ESPN and Special Olympics to promote an environment of social inclusion. The cornerstone of the collaboration, the Unified Exchange Program, consists of MLS Unified teams traveling for exhibition matches scheduled in conjunction with MLS first-team matches, reinforcing inclusivity and showcasing the talents and abilities of Special Olympics athletes and partners. Also, part of the program, taking place this summer as part of MLS All-Star Week in Minnesota is the Special Olympics Unified All-Star Unified Game.

Detroit will host over 300 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities during a historic week that will celebrate the joy of sport and the power of inclusion through camaraderie, competition, and breaking down social barriers.

Special Olympics Unified Sports® brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to play on the same team, demonstrating how playing and competing together breaks down barriers and ultimately creates communities of acceptance and inclusion.

Competition and events throughout the week will attract more than 10,000 spectators, 1,000 volunteers and 500 family members and dignitaries to the tournament.

The finals will be streamed live on ESPN3 from Keyworth Stadium - home of Detroit City Football Club - to hundreds of millions of viewers across the globe by ESPN, the Global Broadcast Partner of Special Olympics and the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports®. A recap of the week will be broadcast by ESPN2 on Saturday, August 13 at 3p ET.

The Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022 is made possible thanks to support from sponsors Toyota, ESPN, Ally Financial, Gallagher, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network, The Coca-Cola Company, and The Real Estate One Charitable Foundation. For more information, visit unifiedcup.org and stay up to date on our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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