Major League Soccer Gameweek 32
New York City FC 2 - 1 FT Atlanta United FC
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Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
7' Tayvon Gray
Mauricio Amaro 11'
Breel Embolo 23'
28' ↓ Alonso Martinez ↑Talles Magno
Paulo Díaz 34'
43' Talles Magno
HT
64' ↓ Aiden O'Neill ↑Keaton Parks
64' ↓ Agustin Ojeda ↑Malachi Jones
Tristan Muyumba 68'
↓ Tristan Muyumba ↑Fafà Picault 74'
Matthew Edwards 81'
↓ Matthew Edwards ↑Elías Báez 83'
Breel Embolo 88'
90' ↓ Hannes Wolf ↑Bénie Adama Traoré
90'+5 Bénie Adama Traoré (Kevin O'Toole)
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
New York City FC
Goalkeepers
Matthew Freese 
OCTOPUS
5
Saves
5
Saves
0
Conceded
100%
Save %
Defenders
Tayvon Gray 
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
2
Tackles
55%
Duel Win %
Thiago Martins 
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
James Sands 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kevin O'Toole
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
7
Tackles
73%
Duel Win %
Midfielders
Aiden O'Neill
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
64
Total Mins
64
Entry
Andrés Perea
STORMTROOPER
2
Shots
2
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
Axel Ojeda
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
64
Total Mins
64
Entry
Nicolás Fernández Mercau 
FINISHER
1
Goals
1
Goals
3
Shots
8.2
Rating
Hannes Wolf 
NPC
90
Minutes
90
Minutes
21%
Pass Acc
6.6
Rating
Forwards
Adrián Martínez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
28
Total Mins
28
Entry
BENCH
Tomás Romero 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Matt Miazga
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Raul Gustavo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Keaton Parks
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
26
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jonathan Shore
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Malachi Jones 
DRIBBLER
3
Dribbles
3
Dribbles
3
Attempts
100%
Success %
Luighi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Talles Magno
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
62
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Bénie Traoré 
CLUTCH HERO
90
Goal Time
90
Goal Time
Goal
Impact
0
Rating
Atlanta United FC
Goalkeepers
Lucas Hoyos
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Tomás Jacob
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
4
Tackles
64%
Duel Win %
Paulo Díaz
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Javier Alonso 
ARCHITECT
2
Key Passes
2
Key Passes
0
Assists
53%
Pass Acc
Matthew Edwards
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Midfielders
Mauricio Amaro
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Aleksey Miranchuk
DRIBBLER
5
Dribbles
5
Dribbles
6
Attempts
83%
Success %
Giuliano Galoppo 
SWEEPER
5
Cleanups
5
Cleanups
3
Interceptions
2
Blocks
Tristan Muyumba
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
74
Total Mins
74
Entry
Miguel Almirón
ARCHITECT
5
Key Passes
5
Key Passes
0
Assists
35%
Pass Acc
Forwards
Breel Embolo
CLUTCH HERO
88
Goal Time
88
Goal Time
Goal
Impact
8.1
Rating
BENCH
Jayden Hibbert
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Elías Báez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
7
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Cooper Sanchez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Adrian Gill
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ajani Fortune
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Luke Brennan
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Steven Alzate
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Sergio Santos
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Fafà Picault
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
16
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/26/2026 | Atlanta United FC | 2 - 2 | New York City FC | Major League Soccer | Atlanta Stadium |
| 06/12/2025 | New York City FC | 4 - 0 | Atlanta United FC | Major League Soccer | Yankee Stadium |
| 03/29/2025 | Atlanta United FC | 4 - 3 | New York City FC | Major League Soccer | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| 07/17/2024 | Atlanta United FC | 2 - 2 | New York City FC | Major League Soccer | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| 04/06/2024 | New York City FC | 1 - 1 | Atlanta United FC | Major League Soccer | Citi Field |
| 06/21/2023 | Atlanta United FC | 2 - 2 | New York City FC | Major League Soccer | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| 04/08/2023 | New York City FC | 1 - 1 | Atlanta United FC | Major League Soccer | Yankee Stadium |
| 10/09/2022 | Atlanta United FC | 1 - 2 | New York City FC | Major League Soccer | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| 07/03/2022 | New York City FC | 2 - 2 | Atlanta United FC | Major League Soccer | Yankee Stadium |
| 11/21/2021 | New York City FC | 2 - 0 | Atlanta United FC | Major League Soccer | Yankee Stadium |
09/26/2026
06/12/2025
03/29/2025
07/17/2024
04/06/2024
06/21/2023
04/08/2023
10/09/2022
07/03/2022
11/21/2021
New York City FC Win
Atlanta United FC Win
Draw
League Standings
P: 25 GD: +33
P: 26 GD: +20
P: 26 GD: +18
P: 26 GD: +12
P: 26 GD: +2
P: 26 GD: -5
P: 26 GD: -9
P: 25 GD: +5
P: 25 GD: -11
P: 26 GD: -13
P: 26 GD: -1
P: 26 GD: +1
P: 26 GD: -13
P: 27 GD: -24
League Standings
P: 32 GD: +43
P: 32 GD: +10
P: 32 GD: +20
P: 32 GD: +9
P: 32 GD: +11
P: 32 GD: +12
P: 32 GD: -12
P: 32 GD: -7
P: 32 GD: +3
P: 32 GD: -16
P: 32 GD: -10
P: 32 GD: +3
P: 32 GD: -18
P: 32 GD: -16
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
New York City FC
Atlanta United FC
New York City FC
Atlanta United FC
Win Probability
Futmetrix AI estimate
One late answer after another at Citi Field
A last-gasp winner turned a late equalizer into a damaging regular-season defeat and delivered the match’s decisive jolt.
Pressure, then a reprieve
Atlanta came out on the front foot, and the first major twist arrived in the 23rd minute. At Citi Field, Atlanta United FC thought Breel Embolo had struck first, only for VAR to cancel the goal. That reprieve did not quiet the visitors: they edged possession with 54% and launched 19 shots, while New York City FC managed 11. Yet the target count finished level at six apiece, and the keepers combined for nine saves. The Intensity grew through pressure rather than a steady stream of clean chances. NYCFC stayed compact and cleared danger 36 times, almost twice Atlanta’s 17. By the break, Atlanta had the volume and territory; the hosts had survived the scare and kept the contest within reach. The numbers showed initiative, not control, and left the next opening hanging in the air.
The lead that would not hold
NYCFC finally broke through in the 70th minute, when Nicolás Fernández Mercau scored to put the hosts ahead. It was a sharp answer to Atlanta’s sustained pressure, but hardly a sign that the visitors had gone away. Atlanta had produced 19 attempts and 2.07 expected goals; NYCFC finished with 11 shots and 1.20. The Balance remained precarious: Atlanta kept finding routes into the final third and forcing the home defense to work. Then came the decisive swing in momentum. Embolo found the net in the 88th minute to make it 1-1, after his earlier strike had been ruled out. NYCFC’s lead lasted only eighteen minutes, and Atlanta had renewed hope. The crowd had barely absorbed the equalizer before the final surge began. The tie suddenly felt wide open.
A winner in stoppage time
Atlanta’s equalizer looked like it had rescued a point. Instead, at 90+5, substitute Bénie Adama Traoré finished Kevin O'Toole’s assist and sent Citi Field into celebration. Traoré had only just entered the match, making the timing sharper still: a fresh attacker punished a defense that had just clawed back to level. New York City FC won 2-1 with one decisive answer to Atlanta’s superior shot volume, not through a spell of territorial control. The visitors had edged possession, 54% to 46%, but could not protect the draw. The Stakes mattered beyond the final minutes: NYCFC sat 12th and Atlanta 14th in the regular-season table, making these points valuable in a lower-half contest. For the hosts, a late winner brings belief; for Atlanta, all that pressure is hard to celebrate.
Key Questions
How did VAR change this match?
VAR ruled out Breel Embolo’s 23rd-minute goal, denying Atlanta the opener; he later scored a valid equalizer in the 88th.
How dramatic was the late winner by Nicolás Fernández Mercau?
It was not Fernández Mercau: he scored in the 70th. Substitute Bénie Adama Traoré won it at 90+5.
Did New York City FC deserve the late equalizer?
NYCFC did not score a late equalizer; Atlanta did. Traoré supplied NYCFC’s 90+5 winner after the 88th-minute tie.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
A home response must turn pressure into points
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 30/100. Our verdict: four points separate these sides, making this a chance to climb the table rather than another routine league fixture.
The Setup
New York City FC sit 12th on 34 points after 30 matches; Atlanta United FC are 14th on 30. That gap gives this regular-season meeting a clear purpose: gain ground and finish the campaign with momentum. New York have scored 43 and conceded 41, but their home record is the warning: just four wins in 15 home matches. Atlanta’s 51 goals conceded leave them vulnerable if the hosts sustain pressure. Recent results offer little reassurance: NYC’s last five read D-L-L-D-L, while Atlanta’s L-W-L-D-W includes two wins. At Yankee Stadium, New York need to turn territory into chances instead of inviting a loose, end-to-end game. The Form picture favours Atlanta slightly, but neither side arrives on a convincing run.
Key Battle
Nicolás Fernández against M. Almirón gives this match its clearest individual contest. Fernández will need to find space between the lines and trouble Atlanta’s defence; Almirón offers the visitors a midfield route into quick transitions. New York should try to limit his room to turn, while Atlanta will want to force Fernández wide and break before the home side resets. The winner of those central exchanges could shape the chances either team creates.
Our Prediction
New York City FC to win 2-1. Expect the hosts to push up and claim territory, with Atlanta looking to counter when possession turns over. New York’s defensive record is the steadier of the two, and Atlanta’s 51 goals against give the home side a route to the net. But four home wins in 15 warn against expecting a comfortable afternoon. Atlanta can make this uncomfortable; sustained pressure should see NYC edge it.