NYCFC beats Atlanta United for first home win in months thanks to Bénie Traoré

New York City FC played their final midweek match of the Major League Soccer regular season on Wednesday, welcoming Atlanta United FC to Queens.  The Pigeons knew that winning was the only option, as a draw or loss could see them end any postseason hopes. 

Those hopes almost dwindled away even further, but NYCFC defeated Atlanta 2-1 thanks to a late goal in stoppage time. A relentless fight by the players earned them a deserved three points.

Before the match began, there was some excitement.  With the announcement of the MLS Sprint Season scheduled for tomorrow, a couple of games were announced.  This included the Hudson River Derby on Decision Day, which will take place on May 8 at Yankee Stadium.  It is a fantastic way to say goodbye to the Bronx, as nobody knows whether they will make the playoffs then or play again at Yankee Stadium.

And now, to add to that excitement, NYCFC is still alive in the postseason chase, especially because the New York Red Bulls lost their game. The expectation remains that they will not make the postseason, but at the very least, they won in front of the fans for the first time since July 25.

NYCFC finallly wins at home again

Unfortunately, NYCFC looked rusty at the beginning and had a poor start.  They were somewhat lucky that they did not give up a goal early, as the backline was stuck in the mud, struggling to move. The team also could not find their groove.

This allowed the visitors to threaten, and Freese had to make a big time save off a direct shot from Alexey Miranchuk, making himself big a few feet away from his goal in the 15th minute.

Then, five minutes later, Atlanta almost scored via a header from Breel Embolo.  But after VAR intervened, the goal was clearly offside based on the initial kick into the box.

The Boys in Blue had some luck there, but as the story goes this season, bad news immediately took over.  Alonso Martínez had to come off in the 28th minute due to a possible hamstring injury.  That was a blow for the striker, who has been coming back from his ACL tear.

Meanwhile, Talles Magno, who came on for Martínez, provided that much-needed spark in the final third.  The Pigeons were more threatening and had more of the ball. 

And finally, in the 42nd minute, they had their first shot on target.  A perfect back pass from Hannes Wolf led Nicolás Fernández Mercau to take a close-range shot, but Lucas Hoyos was right in front of him to make the save.

But what NYCFC really needed were goals.  They also still needed to be yelled at during halftime, as the majority of that first-half performance was still atrocious.

The Pigeons needed to come out strongly in the second half and prove to the fans that they wanted to win.  But the Georgian side had other ideas and had two big chances in the first ten minutes outside the locker room, including a free kick and then a solid chance from Miranchuk that was blocked by Thiago Martins.

NYCFC was not done trying, though.  In the 58th minute, they had a great chance to score when there was chaos in the box.  Andrés Perea ended up with the ball, and he should have maneuvered himself to take the shot from a different angle.  Instead, Hoyos kept the home side out of the goal.

They kept fighting, and eventually, NYCFC was given a free kick right outside the center of the box.  As expected, Fernández Mercau stepped up to take it, and when he was given the okay, the Argentine powered the ball through everyone, directing it into the bottom right corner.  Hoyos did not move, and finally, a mix of luck and skill helped the home side take the lead in the 70th minute.

However, that lingering feeling that the Boys in Blue would not keep the lead or score another was nearby.  The players recognized that, especially because Atlanta remained relentless in front of Freese and the defense.  So, it was not shocking that they gave up a late goal.

Fafà Picault’s shot hit the post and bounced right back to Embolo.  Freese was on the ground attempting to make the first save, and the forward headed the ball into the goal.  Once again, it seemed NYCFC was about to lose out on points.

Yet, this time, there was a hero lurking. An unlikely hero, actually. Bénie Traoré, who came on as a late substitute, scored a strike that has to be seen. He moved himself into a perfect position to give himself room, and curled the ball into the goal from outside the box.

The forward has been rightfully criticized throughout the season since he joined over the summer. But wow, what a goal, and it came at the perfect time.

Again, NYCFC is not expected to make the playoffs. But finally winning at home will go a long way with the supporters. If they can do it again in the final home match at a baseball stadium in a normal regular season, then that would be great.

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