Crazy final minutes result in Atlanta United drawing with the Red Bulls

HARRISON, N.J. -- Brad Guzan saved a penalty kick in the 86th minute and a world-class goal from Edwin Mosquera in the 92nd minute should have resulted in Atlanta United defeating the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

Instead, in a match that epitomizes its season, Atlanta United surrendered a goal to Elias Manoel from point-blank range in the seventh minute of stoppage time to settle for a 2-2 draw. The Red Bulls hit a cross from left to right that was headed back toward the back post. Derrick Williams tried to clear the ball but didn’t hit it well and Manoel pounced.

Atlanta United thought it had the winner from Mosquera’s first goal this season, a curling right-footed shot into the upper right corner. The goal came six minutes after Guzan dove to his right and stopped Manoel’s penalty-kick attempt. It was Guzan’s third saved penalty kick this season.

“You go from the joy of thinking that you’ve gone and stolen one here, and then disappointment and that sadness that we dropped it,” interim manager Rob Valentino said.

Alexey Miranchuk’s goal was the just second-ever scored by Atlanta United at Red Bull Arena to tie the match at 1 in the first half.

Atlanta United (8-13-9) had never won in the stadium, so a draw wasn’t a poor result. However, giving up the goal in the final seconds, combined with results of other matches, saw Atlanta United remain one point out of the ninth and final playoff spot with four matches remaining. Atlanta United will play at Philadelphia on Sept. 28.

“It wasn’t a game where we were going to have tons of possession,” Guzan said. “I don’t care about the possession. I don’t care about what the numbers say. You’re winning the game 2-1 with two minutes to go see it out, whatever it takes. We didn’t.”

The fervency with which Atlanta United played in the final 10 minutes of its last match against Miami wasn’t consistently there against the Red Bulls. New York won most of the loose balls and continually put the Five Stripes under pressure in their defensive third. The Red Bulls took 21 shots to Atlanta United’s 10.

Guzan set a season-high with eight saves.

“If Brad has a performance like that, we have to reward him with with three points,” Valentino said. “He saved us on a number of occasions.”

Valentino changed the formation from a 4-2-3-1 to a 5-3-2. It was composed of strikers Jamal Thiare and Miranchuk, midfielders Jay Fortune, Bartosz Slisz and Saba Lobjanidze, wingbacks Brooks Lennon and Pedro Amador, centerbacks Stian Gregersen, Williams and Noah Cobb, making his first start since July 13, and Guzan.

Valentino said he made the switch because the Red Bulls typically like to play through the middle. He wanted to try to take that away. He admitted it didn’t work.

Atlanta United got off to a slightly better start than it did in its previous two matches but it wasn’t good enough.

The Red Bulls grabbed a 1-0 lead on a goal by Dante Vanzeir, assisted by John Tolkin, who sprinted to reach the ball just before it crossed the end line following a headed cross. Atlanta United’s players seemed to relax after the header, perhaps presuming the ball was going to roll out of bounds. Instead, Tolkin put in a cross that Vanzeir tapped into the goal in the 31st minute. It was the Red Bulls’ eighth shot, third put on goal.

“Those are critical moments, those moments, like, in those small seconds, can you be really, really alert because you get punished for that one there, and then at the end, when you’re seeing things out,” Valentino said. “Derek held his hand up, he wants to clear his lines and get it. It’s the third game in a week, and it’s just that’s one little detail. But it’s unfortunate.”

Atlanta United didn’t yet have a shot on goal.

Miranchuk tied the match at 1 with a penalty kick into the left corner in the third minute of first-halt stoppage time. Thiare won the penalty kick by being tackled in the box after he ran onto an over-the-top pass by Lennon. It was Atlanta United’s first shot on goal in the half.

Luke Brennan subbed on for Cobb to start the second half as Atlanta United switched from using three centerbacks to two. Brennan came on as a right winger with Lobjanidze staying on the left.

“That’s what you’re supposed to do when you see something like that,” Valentino said of the formation switch. “So we made the change, and from there, I thought it was better.”

Guzan was forced to make a save with his leg when a shot deflected within the box in the 48th minute. Twice in its last match against Miami, Atlanta United saw deflected shots or passes lead to goals. A Red Bulls shot hit the post a few seconds later and Guzan made a save in the 55th minute on a shot after Gregersen slipped trying to clear the ball.

Daniel Rios subbed on for Thiare in the 71st minute. Mosquera subbed on in the second minute of stoppage time. He scored on his third or fourth touch of the match.

“When I came in, I had a bunch of confidence, and that’s exactly how it came out,” Mosquera said.

As good as the goal was, and Guzan’s save was, it was obvious that he was frustrated after the match.

“I think the times tonight we battled ... the first half, forget the tactics and the shape and whatnot, we didn’t tackle, we didn’t win second balls,” Guzan said. “Those are little moments. Those are details that subconsciously send a message to the opposition, saying, ‘(Expletive), we’re under it here.’ Every time there’s a second ball, they’re picking up the second ball.

“Well, at the same time it’s sending the same message to us, saying, ‘Every time there’s second ball, or every time there’s a 50-50 tackle or 60-40, tackle, we’re not winning the tackle.’ I need to bite my tongue ...”

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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule

Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0

March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1

March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0

March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0

March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0

April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1

April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2

April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1

April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1

May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1

May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in U.S. Open Cup