Atlanta United defeated Red Bull New York 2-1 on Saturday night in the first home match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium since May 9. Fafa Picault and Tristan Muyumba scored, Miguel Almirón tied the all-time Atlanta United assist record, and Adrian Gill made his MLS debut in the win.
New York opened the scoring in the 6th minute. Julian Hall picked up a loose ball on the left side of the box before firing it to Adri Mehmeti, who was standing at the top of the box. With a quick through pass that broke Atlanta’s defensive line, Mehmeti played Emil Forsberg in on goal. The Swede then fired home at Lucas Hoyos’ near post to give his side the lead.
Atlanta found its breakthrough in the second half. In the 69th minute, Sanchez carried the ball down the pitch before finding Tomás Jacob on the right wing. With a first-time ball whipped into the middle, Jacob found Alexey Miranchuk, who quickly flicked on a pass to Muyumba just outside of the box. Sizing up the shot, Muyumba took one step forward before curving the ball directly into the top-right corner of the net, equalizing the match.
For us it’s crucial, the defense, the community, we know how important they are for the club, for the city, and it’s always good having them behind us. So it’s like I said, it’s like playing with 12 men, so they are important to us.”
Atlanta United’s Tristan Muyumba on tonight’s fan support
In the 82nd minute, Atlanta took the lead on Almirón’s record-tying assist. From a corner on the right side, Almirón played a short pass to Miranchuk, who quickly played it back to him. In space on the right, Almirón ran onto the pass and hit a deep cross to the back post, where Picault rose and connected with a header toward goal. Horvath, covering the space, was able to react in time to get a piece of the ball, but it was not enough to keep it out of the net as Atlanta sealed all three points.
“What makes me calm is that the players are still searching for it. We’re in a bad position, but the players keep trying, keep competing,” said Gerardo “Tata” Martino after the match. “We’re coming off a tough blow in Philadelphia. They did a good job again, going down in the scoreline first. It seems to me that not only was it needed, but the players deserve a victory like tonight for the effort they give and the way they’re working.”
Atlanta United (4-12-3, 15 points) returns to action Wednesday, Aug. 19, when it travels to Allianz Field to face Minnesota United (8:30 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 ATL UTD