Reilly’s Last-Gasp Volley Rescues Draw for Atlanta United
- Caroline Hood
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
In a match that was ultimately inconclusive at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta United earned a point with a dramatic 94th-minute equalizer to draw 2–2 with Chicago Fire FC. After conceding early and battling back in the second half, it was Will Reilly’s clutch volley off a corner that ended the game in a draw, with both teams going home with a point.
"We really need to work on our performances, as I have said all the time," Atlanta United manager Ronny Deila said after the match. "I definitely don’t think we deserved to win today. [Chicago Fire] had their chances, and we had ours as well, but you make it difficult when you concede after one minute."
After Atlanta conceded a corner in the opening minute, Chicago Fire’ winger Philip Zinckernagel stepped up and curved a ball goalward in just the 2nd minute. It took a bounce in front of Brad Guzan, hit off the inside of the far post, and landed in the back of the net to give Chicago the early lead.
Atlanta responded with urgency to this conceded goal, Deila commented on the team's pressing in the attacking half in the first half of the first half. In the 7th minute, they had a good look in the center of the box, but couldn’t get a clean shot off. Three minutes later, a set-piece opportunity found Pedro Amador for a second-chance strike, but it fell into the hands of the Fire’s keeper and was saved.
Atlanta’s press remained a little inconsistent and fell off as the first 45 minutes played out. There were moments of promise, but no one consistently found a way to get on the end of some of the balls crossed into the 18. Lots of Atlanta’s chances went unfinished not for lack of service, but due to a lack of presence in the box in the final attacking third. A yellow card to Chicago’s Sergio Oregel in the 28th minute gave Atlanta a free kick just outside the 18, but the shot slammed off the wall.
Bartosz Slisz remained a steady influence throughout the match, covering ground defensively and setting up United’s best moments of possession. He even slid out wide to the right at times, trying to stifle Chicago's tactic of overloading Brooks Lennon.
Coming out of the half, Atlanta wasted no time pushing forward. That pressure paid off in the 56th. It started, once again with Slisz, who won the ball in the middle third and launched forward on the dribble. After covering 40+ yards, he found Miguel Almirón who had cut inside from the left wing. Almirón drew defenders towards him before sliding it to Alexey Miranchuk, whose shot rang off the post and into the net to bring the score to 1–1.
This momentum did not last long enough. In the 79th minute, Chicago exploited their numbers advantage on the left side again. Zinckernagel started the play, sliding a ball to Andrew Gutman. Gutman delivered a clean pass into the feet of Maren Haile-Selassie, who dribbled around Morales and slotted home a right-footed finish from the center of the box to give the Fire the lead once again at 2–1.
Slisz was shown a yellow in the 83rd minute as tensions rose and both sides scrapped for control. Just when it looked like Atlanta would come up short, the moment arrived.
In the 94th minute, Atlanta won a corner and loaded the box. The ball was whipped in with pace by Miranchuk towards Morales, was headed by Gutman into the back of his teammate Mauricio Pineda, and fell to Will Reilly at the top of the six-yard box. Reilly lunged towards the ball to connect perfectly on the volley in front of Chris Brady, slamming it home to bring the stadium to life and seal the 2–2 draw.
Atlanta ends the night twelve points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with twelve matches to play. Saturday's match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium could be a season-defining match. Pregame coverage will start on 92.9 The Game with Abe Gordon and Madison Crews at 6:30pm with kickoff set for 7:40pm.
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