New York City FC needed a win to keep its playoff hopes alive for another day and they got it thanks to a dramatic late match-winning goal from Bénie Traoré, his second for the club and first from open play since joining this summer, giving his team a 2-1 win over Atlanta United FC at Citi Field.
This was no easily-earned victory for New York City, as they appeared headed for yet another disappointing draw when Atlanta's Breel Embolo headed in a rebound to make it 1-1 in the 88th minute, a rebound that came after a deflected Fafa Picault shot hit the post and bounced right onto Embolo's forehead.
That Embolo header canceled out a perfect free-kick goal from Nicolás Fernández Mercau, a dipping left-footed strike that gave NYCFC the lead in the 70th minute and left Atlanta goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos rooted to his goal line.
This was all an undercard for Bénie Traoré's first big New York City FC moment. Traoré appeared to be heading for a stint on the bench as an unused substitute, until Pascal Jansen summoned him to enter the match in the 90th minute, replacing Hannes Wolf.
Five minutes after entering and with only two minutes left of the seven added on at the end of the second half, Traoré curled in a beautiful shot from distance, giving Hoyos no chance to save it as it nestled into the side netting beyond his reach.
Video via @MLS on Twitter.
Traoré celebrated as if it was any old goal, but it breathed some life into New York City FC's season. The club would not have been eliminated from the playoff race if this ended in a 1-1 draw, because Red Bull New York lost in New England, and only a win from the Red Bulls combined with a NYCFC draw could have eliminated the Pigeons in a scenario where they picked up one point.
Instead, Traoré's banger earned NYCFC its first three points since the away victory in Utah over Real Salt Lake back on September 12, and it got the club within three points of ninth place, the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, held by Columbus Crew after they beat FC Dallas and climbed up to 41 points.
Traoré's goal also earned NYCFC a first win of the season at Citi Field, important because they'd not won any of their five previous matches in Queens this season, and important because they come right back and play again at Citi Field, hosting CF Montréal on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm ET in what is another must-win game for NYCFC's longshot playoff hopes.
New York City: 1.16 xG, 11 shots, 6 shots on target, 46% possession, 382 passes, 78% pass accuracy, 13 fouls, 3 corners, 5 saves
Atlanta: 2.20 xG, 19 shots, 6 shots on target, 54% possession, 451 passes, 75% pass accuracy, 14 fouls, 3 corners, 4 saves
Goals:
• New York City, Nicolás Fernández Mercau, 70'
Atlanta, Breel Embolo, 88'
New York City, Bénie Traoré, 90'+5'
Early Atlanta blitz, early Alonso Martínez injury
New York City did not start this game on the front foot, in any way. Atlanta had a dominant first half and appeared like they were destined to take a lead, though the one time they got the ball in the back of the net, it got disallowed after one of the Atlanta attackers was judged to be offside before Breel Embolo connected with a header and scored in the 21st minute.
Referee Tori Penso chalked that goal off, much to the relief of a New York City defense that afforded Embolo way too much open space in the box, but Atlanta still had the bulk of the attacking threat for the entirety of the first half. The visitors attempted nine shots and put three on target to test Matt Freese before halftime, though Freese was more than up to that task.
He came off his line just in time to deny Aleksei Miranchuk in the 15th minute, then made an even better save to deflect a powerful low shot from Tristan Muyumba off the post in the 32nd minute.
Matty keeping us in it 🤯 https://t.co/5QbEbcl5Wo
— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) October 29, 2026
That was two minutes after Freese scrambled across his goal to save a Muyumba free-kick attempt that the Atlanta midfielder tried to squeeze inside Freese's near post.
This was an extra impressive performance from Freese considering he left the last match in Orlando in the 28th minute while suffering with a painful left shoulder issue. There was uncertainty if he'd be ready to start against Atlanta, but the saves he made to deny the visitors before halftime could have made the difference in this result.
NYCFC's chances were complicated when their starting striker, Alonso Martínez, went down grabbing the back of his leg and needed to be removed for substitute Talles Magno in the in the 28th minute. It seemed like a muscular issue for Martínez, who was back in the starting lineup on just three days' rest after starting and playing over 80 minutes of the 2-2 draw in Orlando last Saturday.
Martínez walked off under his own power, slowly, and the attack needed time to regroup once forced to adjust with a new player in Talles leading the attacking line. A season defined by costly injuries and the absences of impact players like Martínez, features yet another costly injury, and one to Martínez right as he looked to be turning back into his old self.
DPs grab all three
This had all the makings of a frustrating result for NYCFC through most of the second half. First, they couldn't find a way to score, with Andrés Perea denied by Lucas Hoyos while Perea was one-on-one with the keeper in the 58th minute. A few minutes later, Kevin O'Toole would whip a dangerous-looking low shot just wide of the post, with the match heading toward the 70th minute with no opening goal found for either side.
Then Nico Fernández Mercau stepped over another dead ball and struck another shot sweetly that was unstoppable for Hoyos or any Atlanta defender. Atlanta's wall on the free kick left Fernández Mercau a gap, and he took advantage of that gap, and of the free kick opportunity, and could not have placed his shot any better.
NICO! What a strike! 🤯 📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/kWndswBftm https://t.co/Q09sLJbcSK
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 29, 2026
That was Fernández Mercau's 16th goal and it gave NYCFC a much-needed lead, one they had 20 minutes and change to hold onto in order to guarantee their season retained relevance heading into another matchday.
The Embolo equalizer 18 minutes later was all too familiar, the 16th time NYCFC has conceded a goal beyond the 76th minute this season, meaning roughly 36% of the goals they've conceded in MLS this season have been late ones. It was a shock a goal from Atlanta hadn't arrived sooner, but it was not a shock to see NYCFC give one up right around the 90-minute mark.
What was a shock came from Bénie Traoré and his pearler of a winning goal, a first truly memorable moment for the Designated Player who has struggled in a big way since arriving from FC Basel this summer.
Bénie Traoré's second-ever goal for #NYCFC and first in 12 matches. It's also his first open-play goal for the club. He couldn't have ended this drought at a better time pic.twitter.com/A8s1AjhvrR
— Matthew Mangam (@MatthewMangam) October 29, 2026
The win delivered by Traoré's right foot means that New York City remains stuck in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, but it also means they're just three points back of ninth place and a spot in the playoffs. The problem they face is Columbus keeps winning, and the odds remain long NYCFC can catch them or whoever ends up holding ninth place, since it will require other teams above them to drop points while NYCFC continues to pick up all three.
A win to snap what was a six-match winless streak was much-needed, and a goal like this for Traoré was even more needed, but it will take a repeat result against Montréal and help elsewhere in the Eastern Conference for it to be more significant than a nice moment late in a disappointing season.
