Andrew Gutman scored the 20,000th goal in Major League Soccer history in the 83rd minute as Atlanta United FC fought back to a 2-2 draw away to FC Cincinnati on Saturday night.
After scoring the decisive 94th-minute goal against Seattle last weekend, Gutman fended off the equalizer on Saturday, amid modest traffic in front of the net – and possibly offside – to help United (7 -9-8, 29 points) to rally. come back and go 2-1-3 in their last six games in MLS.
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After Thiago Almada gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead with a 17th-minute strike, the FCC (8-8-9, 33 points) fought back with two goals in 12 minutes of the first half. First, through Brandon Vazquez’s 15th of the season in 29 minutes, then Brenner’s ninth in the 41st.
Vazquez became the first Cincinnati player to score in four consecutive games. Meanwhile, Brenner has four goals in three games for the FCC, which finds itself in the middle of a 1-1-7 streak.
Atlanta wasted no time pressing Cincinnati’s goal and goaltender Roman Celentano (four saves). Luiz Araujo and Ronald Hernandez each had quality shots from inside the box in the opening five minutes. Then Almada’s shot hit the left post and another ball from Hernandez was saved into the bottom right corner of the net by Celentano.
The FCC’s first serious threat came from Brenner in the 16th minute. However, 20-year-old Atlanta guard Rocco Rios Novo (six saves), who made key saves late in the game, got a diving hand on the ball.
Atlanta finally opened the scoring thanks to Almada, who hooked the ball just outside the top of the box, on a perfect pass from Araujo. However, five minutes after United’s Marcelino Moreno hit the woodwork in the 24th minute, Vazquez hit the mark with an occasional strike to the bottom right corner to equalise.
Then just before half-time, Brenner was credited with putting FCC ahead amid some turmoil in the box and poor United defending against the home side’s free kick. It ended with the ball eventually crossing the line after bouncing off Atlanta’s Juan Jose Sanchez Purata.