Home at last, Atlanta United finally has reason to celebrate

Soccer returned to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first time since its turn as World Cup host came to a thrilling conclusion in July.

And, improbably, so did winning play by the building’s primary soccer tenant.

Behind by a goal for 63 minutes, Atlanta United scored twice in the final 22 minutes Saturday night to secure a 2-1 win over visiting Red Bull New York.

It was a desperately needed result. Including a U.S. Open Cup loss, United had not won in its previous eight games, a spiral that dropped the club into last place in the Eastern Conference.

The Five Stripes had also been sitting for two weeks on perhaps the most agonizing loss in club history, a 3-2 defeat at Philadelphia on Aug. 2 in which they led 2-1 with three minutes of stoppage time remaining before a stunning collapse.

It was not for nothing that a small group of fans Saturday wore necklaces with wooden spoons for pendants, a gallows-humor response winking at the unofficial award (the Wooden Spoon) given annually to the supporters of the MLS team with the worst record in the league.

So to win with a late comeback in front of a home crowd that the team has not rewarded much this season provided a rare night of satisfaction for a team that has won just four times in 19 MLS games (4-12-3).

“Very, very important,” said midfielder Tristan Muyumba, who provided the equalizing goal in the 69th minute. “Very, very important for the confidence for the team and also for the fans because we’ve been playing away for a couple weeks. It’s been a while since we’ve played in front of our fans, our family, and it was good to show this face from the team.”

It was also United’s first game in their home stadium since May 9. The building had been closed to prepare for the World Cup before hosting eight tournament games and then closed again to have a new artificial turf field installed.

An announced crowd of 38,469 helped pull United through for a rare comeback. With the win, the club is now 2-9-2 this season when its opponent has scored first.

“We’re coming off a tough result in Philadelphia and we’re in a difficult spot in the standings, but the players are still trying,” coach Tata Martino said through an interpreter.

Muyumba tied the game at 1 with a curling shot off his right foot from the top of the 18-yard box into the upper-right corner.

Forward Fafà Picault scored the game winner in the 82nd minute, heading Miguel Almirón’s chipped cross to the far post off Red Bull goalie Ethan Horvath and into the net.

“He’s been involved in a lot of moments in this league, and the truth is, right now, he’s helping us out a lot,” Martino said of Picault.

The Five Stripes hung on through eight minutes of stoppage time to secure the precious result.

Before Muyumba’s equalizer in his 100th appearance with the club, United’s probability of winning dipped to as low as 10%, according to the MLS website. Perhaps the miraculous World Cup comebacks in Mercedes-Benz Stadium by Martino’s beloved Argentina against Egypt and England left a residue for the home team.

“Not only did we need it, but I think the players deserve it for the work they’ve been putting in,” Martino said.

There’s no telling what happens the rest of the way or how this result impacts the course of the season.

United’s record isn’t an accident. Also, the team would have to pass six teams in the remaining 15 games to get into postseason position.

United is a team whose pieces don’t necessarily fit well, that has difficulty scoring and is trying to rejigger the roster from player acquisitions that haven’t worked out through multiple visions of the club.