ATLANTA — In the team’s final home match of the regular season, Atlanta United defeated FC Cincinnati 2-0 and kept its playoff hopes alive.
At the moment, Atlanta sits with 22 points and hopes to clinch any of the last two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. In the last match day, Atlanta will need to not only win but also hope that Montreal Impact, Chicago Fire, Inter Miami and DC United will have results that will favor them.
United will travel to Columbus, Ohio and face the Crew on decision day, Sunday, Nov. 8. The match will kick off at 3:30 p.m.
Sunday night against Cincy, the first half belonged all to Atlanta, given that the team dominated possession, pace and more importantly, it built a two-goal lead.
The first goal took place at the 8th minute when Jurgen Damm started his play on the right side of the field and ran past a defender before crossing it inside the six-yard box. After the cross, Adam Jahn one-timed the ball and was able to get it past Cincy’s goalie Spencer Richey.
So far, Damm has totaled four assists in his 13 matches for United.
Atlanta continued their search for its second goal but would come up short until the 26th minute, when Jon Gallagher would get knocked down inside the 18-yard box.
On the play, the referee immediately signaled for a penalty kick and the penalty taker was no other than the new Designated Player, Marcelino Moreno, who buried the ball into the back of the net.
It was Moreno’s first goal with the Five Stripes.
During the second half, United continued to dominate possession, but it was unable to break past Cincinnati’s defense.
