Late Traoré Winner Ends Atlanta United’s Playoff Hopes at Citi Field

For Atlanta United, with three matches to go in the 2026 MLS regular season, the math for getting into the postseason was the easy part. The emotions behind that math were the more difficult part of the conversation.

Win everything put in front of you over the next three matches and see where it goes. Along the way, at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, you could make things more difficult for the nomadic home team in NYCFC.

The Pigeons came in needing to make up four points to climb into the Eastern Conference play-in places themselves. For a team that had won just once in MLS play since July, this was a chance to start turning things around and push to play past match 34.

For the Five Stripes, the lineup was close to first-choice for 2026. Lucas Hoyos started in net. The back line was Matt Edwards, Júnior Alonso, Paulo Díaz, and Tomás Jacob. Elías Báez was in the matchday 20 but held out of the starting lineup because of match compression concerns. The two midfielders in front of the back line were, once again, Giuliano Galoppo and Mauricio Amaro, with Tristan Muyumba in the attacking midfield role in place of Jay Fortune. On the wings, Alexey Miranchuk joined Miguel Almirón, with Breel Embolo up top.

NYCFC brought out the same XI head coach Pascal Jansen used in their last-second draw with Orlando. The injury concerns didn’t materialize, and Matt Freese started in net. Kevin O’Toole, James Sands, Thiago Martins, and Tayvon Gray made up the back line. The midfield, left to right, was Andrés Perea, Nico Fernández Mercau (no goals in his last six matches coming in), and Aiden O’Neill. The front three was Hannes Wolf, Alonso Martínez, and Agustín Ojeda, though Martínez’s night ended early when he went down injured and was replaced by Talles Magno in the 28th minute.

Atlanta United dominated the first 20 minutes, finding space on both wings to send crosses into the NYCFC 18-yard box. Almirón was at the center of it, setting up looks for Alonso and Galoppo inside the first four minutes.

Freese’s first real test came in the 15th minute as Miranchuk worked with Embolo to sprint into the 18 between two defenders. Embolo slid on the Citi Field surface to lead a pass back to Miranchuk, whose shot from the center of the box was saved by a sprawling Freese.

The biggest moment of the first half came in the 21st minute off an Almirón corner. He played it short to Miranchuk, who crossed to the far post. Alonso headed the ball back to the top of the 6-yard box, where Embolo slammed it past Freese. The goal was initially given, but VAR ruled Alonso offside at the time of the cross.

Atlanta United came close again in the 30th minute as Muyumba went near post on a set piece from a few yards in from the corner flag, but Freese and the near post kept it scoreless. At that point, Atlanta United had eight shots to NYCFC’s one. Muyumba tested Freese again two minutes later with a shot from outside the box.

Hoyos was called on once in the first half, with a few minutes left. Off a throw, the ball found Fernández Mercau inside the 18, and a deflection off his shot forced a reflex kick save from Hoyos to keep it goalless.

After six minutes of added time, Atlanta United led in shots and shots on target, with no goals to show for it.

For the first dozen minutes of the second half, neither team put a shot on target. The home side’s best chance came on a 3v2 after Muyumba fell on the turf at Citi Field, but Perea’s eventual shot was saved by Hoyos. Then, out of nothing, New York City FC got the first goal to count with 20 minutes to go.

Muyumba was booked for the foul that set it up, and Fernández Mercau sent the free kick around the Atlanta United wall from 25 yards out. Hoyos didn’t see it until it was well on net. It was his 16th goal of the season and gave NYCFC a 1-0 lead.

Atlanta United had a handball shout two minutes later when Sands’ left hand made contact with a Jacob entry pass from the right, but nothing was given.

Atlanta equalized with two minutes left in regulation, and it came off the bench. Fafà Picault, on for Muyumba in the 74th minute, shot from just outside the 18. It got past Freese, hit the far post, and fell right into the path of Embolo, whose header made it 1-1. It was his fourth of the year.

Seven minutes were added, and Almirón chased a winner. Cutting in from the right, he worked his way inside the 6, but his left-footed shot was saved by Freese at the near post. Amaro then stepped in to stop a 2v1 for the home side before it became a chance, but NYCFC got their winner anyway.

Bénie Traoré, a 90th-minute substitute for Wolf, was the beneficiary of an attempted clearance by Almirón. His 22-yarder curled inside the far post past Hoyos in the 95th minute for the DP’s second goal of the year. Freese pounced on one final chance in the 98th minute, gathering an Embolo header off a Picault cross on the goal line.

Atlanta is now out of the playoffs for the second year in a row, a franchise first. United was the better side on the night (19-11 in shots, 6-6 on target, 2.14 xG), but a late goal on the road was the difference.

Atlanta United (8-18-6, 30 points) will play spoiler for the final two matches of the season, starting Sunday afternoon with the home regular-season finale against Toronto FC at 4:30 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.