ATLUTD2 holds off NYCFC II for historic 10th win

Starting Lineup

Atlanta United 2 returned to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground on Sunday morning for a match carrying real weight in the Eastern Conference playoff race. ATLUTD2 was seventh with 30 points. NYCFC II were two points behind in ninth. The table is extremely tight with only five points separating seventh from 13th. Both sides came looking for a win.

For most of the morning, Atlanta looked like the team more likely to come out with three points.

Arif Kovac scored in each half, Liam Butts added a third late. Atlanta appeared to be closing out a comfortable home victory. Then NYCFC II rallied for a late push in stoppage. ATLUTD2 came away with all points, with a 3-2 victory.

The victory gave Atlanta United 2 its first 10-win season, moved Atlanta to 10-6-3 and lifted it into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Kovac scored his 14th and 15th goals of the season, extending his lead in the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot race. He also moved to 18 goal contributions, the most in the league.

1st Half

Atlanta United 2 forced NYCFC II backward from the opening minutes. Enzo Dovlo closed down the right side, Dylan McDermott hurried his distribution, and New York struggled to play through the middle.

Atlanta’s first clear chance came in the 11th minute. Dominik Chong Qui found Arif Kovac inside the box, but McDermott caught the left-footed shot.

One minute later, Atlanta created another opening. Dovlo drew two defenders on the right before finding Jardines just outside the box. Jardines saw Kovac isolated against Kam Acito at the back post and lifted the cross towards him. Kovac worked behind Acito, held him off and met the ball in the air with his right foot. He guided the finish into the top-left corner.

NYCFC II had more possession after falling behind, but Atlanta did well to deny it a path through the middle. New York circulated possession across midfield and towards the touchlines without a shot on target.

Toto Majub stepped forward and had a shot blocked, while Andrew Jardines missed from distance as Atlanta kept finding chances at the other end. Dominik Chong Qui also found room from left back, first sending an effort wide and later forcing Dylan McDermott into a low save.

Dovlo drove towards the penalty area late in the half and went down near the line. Referee MJ Tehini awarded a free kick outside the box, although the replay appeared to show the contact continuing into the box. The free kick went towards the back post, but ATLUTD2 couldn’t get a shot off.

Dunbar sent Kovac into the box from the left in stoppage time. Kovac moved around Joseph Suchecki and nearly found a second, pulling his shot just beyond the right post.

NYCFC II answered with a break behind Atlanta’s defense. Kieran Smith ran onto the pass and finished past Donaldson, but Tehini had already blown his whistle for a foul against an NYCFC II player. The decision preserved Atlanta’s 1-0 halftime lead. ATLUTD2 had outshot NYCFC II 6-1 and allowed no shots on target.

2nd Half

Enzo Dovlo found Kovac inside the box shortly after the restart, but his header went over. Dovlo created another chance three minutes later, and McDermott saved Kovac’s right-footed shot. Cameron Dunbar drove a shot towards goal in the 56th minute, but it was blocked. Enzo Dovlo collected the loose ball on the right side of the box and pulled his follow-up wide.

Jonathan Lopez found Gil De Souza on the right side of the box. De Souza shot low with his right foot, but James Donaldson made the save.

Andrew Jardines carried the ball through the attacking third in the 66th minute, moved past two defenders and laid it square to Adrian Gill. Kovac started his run as Gill received the pass outside the box. Gill slipped the ball between the center backs, and Kovac reached it in stride before driving his finish into the bottom-left corner. Atlanta up 2-0.

NYCFC II brought on Niccolo Vafiades and James Bilden after the goal. Atlanta replaced Ignacio Suarez-Couri with Adyn Torres.

Vafiades cut the lead three minutes later. Gill tried to play a one-touch pass towards Mohamed Cisset, but it wasn’t good enough. Vafiades stepped into the lane and carried the ball towards goal. Donaldson came towards the edge of his box and got a hand to the early shot, but he couldn’t prevent it from going in. Atlanta 2, NYCFC II 1.

NYCFC II recovered the ball again and kept Atlanta pinned back. Vafiades had another shot blocked in the 75th minute, and Jonathan Lopez followed with a blocked effort before sending the next chance over the crossbar.

José Silva changed both the midfield and the front line in the 78th minute, replacing Gill and Kovac with D.D. Sibrian and Liam Butts. Cisset went down injured in the 83rd minute and was limping after returning to his feet. He tried to continue, but Adedamola Browne ended up replacing him.

Luka Sunjic found space in the center of the box in the 86th minute, but Daniel Chica got over in time to block his shot. Atlanta broke from the loose ball. Liam Butts played it left to Cameron Dunbar and continued his run through the middle. Dunbar carried the ball inside and returned the pass into his path. Butts redirected it beyond Dylan McDermott to make it 3-1 Atlanta.

NYCFC II pulled one back two minutes later when Bilden moved the ball wide to Lopez. Lopez lifted a cross towards the back post, where Ponce had been left alone behind Atlanta’s defense. Ponce sent his header over Donaldson and into the far corner. 3-2.

Joseph Suchecki forced Donaldson into a save from outside the box in stoppage time, and NYCFC II kept Atlanta pinned inside its own half. Cooper Flax drove a free kick into the wall, Peter Molinari reached another delivery in the center of the box without directing his header on target, and Donaldson was booked for delaying a restart.

Flax sent one more shot over the crossbar before Atlanta finally moved the ball out through Butts. He carried it into the corner, held off a defender and won a throw-in. Tehini ended the match shortly afterward.

Atlanta held out for the 3-2 win.

Closing Thoughts

For the first time, ATLUTD2 has won 10 games in a season. This win moved the team into sixth place and strengthened ATLUTD2’s position in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Kovac has been the clearest reason ATLUTD2 has reached 10 wins. He has 15 goals and three assists in 18 appearances, averaging 0.83 goals and one goal contribution per match. His 15 goals lead MLS NEXT Pro, and the single-season record of 21 is now within reach.

Kovac has not carried the attack alone. Dunbar leads the team with six assists, while Jardines and Dovlo have continued to create chances around him. Butts has added four goals, including Sunday’s winner after replacing Kovac.

Atlanta has continued to produce goals, but it has also allowed opponents back into matches after halftime. NYCFC II produced 11 of its 12 shots in the second half and scored two minutes after Atlanta had restored its two-goal lead.

That remains the concern as ATLUTD2 enters the final nine matches of the season. The attack has been productive enough to keep Atlanta above the playoff line. Closing out the games will determine how securely it stays there.