Recap: Atlanta United 2, New England Revolution 2

Phil West

Thiago Almada and Adam Buksa stylishly got their teams on board in the first half and made second-half contributions to bring Atlanta United and the New England Revolution to a 2-2 draw at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The first indication of a duel between Almada and Arsenal-bound goalkeeper Matt Turner came in the 11th minute, when Almada bent a free kick just outside the 18 that Turner had to dive to expertly save. Four minutes later, Almada hit a stunning shot from the same neighborhood toward the opposite post, and Turner couldn't save that one.

Buksa, however, had designs of his own to write himself into the match's narrative. He scored in the 30th minute – extending his goalscoring streak to five matches, not counting his brace in the Revs' US Open Cup win over FC Cincinnati midweek. That goal was assisted, not surprisingly, by Carles Gil.

Buksa then doubled his and the Revs' tally in the 55th minute, collecting a lofted switch from a free-ranging Sebastian Lletget and staying just onside of defender Alan Franco, converting his chance with conviction. But then Almada combined with Luiz Araujo to get the train whistle sounding again in MBS, with Araujo collecting Almada's chip pass before finishing above Turner.

While both teams had some excellent chances to score at the match's end, neither could break through to overcome the deadlock.

Goals

15' – ATL – Thiago Almada | WATCH
30' – NE – Adam Buksa | WATCH
55' – NE – Adam Buksa | WATCH
63' – ATL – Luiz Araujo | WATCH

Three Things

THE BIG PICTURE: Atlanta kept their home unbeaten streak rolling at an impressive 13 straight, a big reason they got into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs last year and have stayed in the Eastern Conference mix this season. Almada and Araujo provided the firepower that Atlanta needed on the day, though there are still questions about the continued weight of the collective team injuries on their fortunes. New England’s draw contributes to an overall stretch of success, with four results in the last five matches, though that was preceded by a four-match losing streak – largely the reason they remain toward the bottom of the East.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH: There were four outstanding goals in this match, and it’s hard to single any of them out. But the last one from Araujo led to the final outcome.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Thiago Almada, Atlanta's $16 million offseason signing, had a goal, an assist and several other attempts that might have been in on a luckier day.