Atlanta United mounted a second-half comeback to secure a point in a 2-2 draw against Charlotte FC on Wednesday night at Bank of America Stadium. Elías Báez scored his first MLS goal while Miguel Almirón scored the game-tying goal in the 76th minute as Atlanta earned a point on the road.
Charlotte took a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute through Kerwin Vargas. After Báez was taken down inside Charlotte’s 18-yard box, the home side quickly launched a counterattack as Pep Biel played Liel Abada into space on the left wing. Abada ran onto the pass and delivered a cross to Archie Goodwin on the edge of the box, who cut back towards the penalty spot and fired a shot attempt on goal. After Lucas Hoyos came off his line to make the save, the rebound fell to Vargas inside the box, where he placed a left-footed shot into the top-right corner of the goal.
After a pair of chances from Fafa Picault and Alexey Miranchuk in the final five minutes of the first half, it was Abada who found the net in the 45th minute for Charlotte. After a deflected shot bounced in Atlanta’s box, Biel received the ball on the right wing and curled a cross to the back post, where Abada headed the ball down and past Hoyos.
Báez scored the first MLS goal of his career in the 57th minute to cut the lead to 2-1. Atlanta’s outside backs connected as Tomás Jacob dribbled down the right side and played a cross to the center of the box that Báez met with a strong header into the net.
Almirón leveled the match in the 76th minute. Báez crossed the ball from the left wing into the center of the box, and the ensuing loose ball fell to the feet of Almirón. He composed himself and placed a right-footed shot into the net. It marked just the seventh time in club history that Atlanta came back from a multi-goal deficit to earn at least a point in MLS play.
“I think it’s (the result) a push for us,” Báez said after the match. “We still have to improve some things, but it’s a push for us to continue fighting to get into the playoffs. To keep working on our things as Tata is asking us and take that into the matches.”
Both teams had chances to win the match in the final moments, but neither could find the back of the net and split the points. Atlanta United (3-10-3, 12 points) returns to action Saturday, July 25, when it travels to face New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV, 92.9 The Game, La Mejor). All Atlanta United MLS matches are available on Apple TV.
-Jon Jones
Photo: Courtesy of ATLUTD