Atlanta United

Atlanta United 1, Sporting KC 1: Man of the match

Aug 7, 2017

My choice for Atlanta United’s man of the match from Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Sporting KC at Children’s Mercy Park:

JACOB PETERSON

Midfielder

Why? He scored the tying goal in the first minute of injury time. Making it sweeter for Peterson, he played for Sporting KC from 2012-16 before signing with Atlanta United as a free agent. The tie moves Atlanta United to 34 points, one behind fourth-place New York Red Bulls and three behind third-place NYCFC. They are two points ahead of sixth-place Columbus and four ahead of seventh-place Orlando City.

He suffered a strained calf in the warm-ups before the game at Montreal that has kept him out of the lineup until Sunday's game.

“Most important for us, it’s coming to a difficult place,” Peterson said. “I was here for a while, I know how good they are at home. It was important for us to get a point. It’s something we can draw on later in the year.”

Peterson didn’t celebrate his goal, which came in the supporter’s end of the Children’s Mercy Park.

“I have a lot of respect for this club,” he said. “I really enjoyed my time here. I think out of respect for the club, the fans, it wasn’t appropriate for me to celebrate.”

About the Author

Doug Roberson covers the Atlanta United and Major League Soccer.

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