NEW YORK — Atlanta United’s season will end without a playoff berth after a 2-1 loss to New York City FC on Wednesday night at Citi Field, where Bénie Traoré scored the winner deep in second-half stoppage time.
Atlanta United controlled much of the opening half and thought it had the lead in the 22nd minute, when Breel Embolo headed in a ball from Júnior Alonso, but video review took the goal away because Alonso was offside. The visitors led 1.1 to 0.3 in expected goals at the break, yet neither side scored in the first half.
NYCFC broke through in the 70th minute when Nicolás Fernández curled in a free kick from 28 yards, his 16th goal of the season.
Atlanta United pulled even in the 88th minute. Substitute Fafa Picault hammered a long shot off the post, and Embolo was there to head the rebound in for his fourth goal in his first 10 MLS matches. The draw lasted only until the fifth minute of stoppage time, when Traoré, a 23-year-old in his first season, found the net for just his second goal in 17 appearances.
Lucas Hoyos made four saves in goal for Atlanta United, one of them in the opening half. Matt Freese stopped five shots for New York.
The loss drops Atlanta United to 8-18-6 overall and 4-7-4 away from home. The two teams tied 2-2 in Atlanta at the end of September.
Atlanta United plays its final home match of the regular season Sunday, Nov. 1, against Toronto FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is 4:30 p.m., and the club has set the evening aside as Fan Appreciation Night.
For NYCFC, now 9-12-11, the win kept its own playoff chances alive. It was the club’s first win in six games this year at the Mets’ ballpark, and it moved New York to one point behind the Red Bulls in the race for the East’s final playoff spot, with two games to go.
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