ATLANTA — Alexey Miranchuk and Tyler Wolff each scored second-half goals as Atlanta United won 2-1 against New York Red Bulls Saturday night in front of 43,428 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Miranchuk netted his third goal and recorded his first assist with the club, marking his first match with both a goal and an assist. Wolff’s goal was his first of the season. The win allows Atlanta to enter Decision Day on Oct. 19 in playoff contention.
Atlanta opened the match on the front foot as Ronald Hernandez threatened New York’s goal early with a shot from distance in the fourth minute. Five minutes later, Stian Gregersen steered a corner kick on goal with his right boot which forced Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel to push it over the bar.
The Red Bulls nearly took the lead in the 14th minute when Felipe Carballo backheeled a shot from close range toward goal, but Hernandez was stationed behind Brad Guzan to clear the ball off the line and keep the match level. Despite out-shooting New York 9-2 in the first half, Atlanta couldn’t find a breakthrough and both sides finished the first 45 scoreless.
A nervy moment from New York’s backline almost handed Atlanta the lead in the 51st minute. Guzan delivered a long goal kick to Saba Lobjanidze down the right side where the winger evaded John Tolkin, dribbled into the box and whipped in cross to the edge of the six-yard box. Sean Nealis tried to clear it, but his attempt was directed on goal and forced Coronel into action, pushing it off the crossbar.
Atlanta gained a one-man advantage in the 66th minute when New York’s Dylan Nealis was shown a red card for denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity on Edwin Mosquera. Three minutes later, Jamal Thiaré earned a penalty after he was taken down in the box by Noah Eile. A lengthy delay ensued as three players were shown yellow cards following a scuffle immediately after the play, and the initial foul on Thiaré went to video review. The call was ultimately upheld and Miranchuk took the penalty, slotting it under Coronel’s glove to the bottom right corner in the 75th minute.
The Red Bulls appeared to have equalized in the 82nd minute when Elias Manoel was played in on goal with Guzan and tucked a low shot inside the right post, but the play went to video review and was called back for offside.
Substitute Tyler Wolff iced the match deep in stoppage time. Lobjanidze began the play by clearing the ball from Atlanta’s box up to Daniel Ríos near midfield. Ríos played the ball back to Miranchuk who sent a perfectly weighted through ball to Wolff who was in on goal. The Homegrown dribbled into the box and calmly rolled the ball into the bottom right corner, all but sealing the win in the 97th minute.
New York managed to pull one goal back in the 103rd minute through Serge Ngoma, but Atlanta held on to claim all three points moments later and keep its playoff chances alive.
Atlanta United (9-14-10, 37 points) returns to action on Decision Day, Saturday, Oct. 19 when it travels to face Orlando City SC at Inter&Co Stadium
