In a gripping match for Week 21 of Major League Soccer, Atlanta United and Chicago Fire battled to a 2-2 stalemate.
Chicago Fire opened the scoring in the first minute with a stunning free-kick from Philip Zinckernagel that left Atlanta’s goalkeeper Bradley Guzan with no chance. The vibrant strike hit the left post before finding the back of the net.
However, Atlanta quickly responded, leveling the match at 1-1 when Aleksei Miranchuk scored in the 55th minute, displaying remarkable finesse in front of goal. Chicago’s Maren Haile-Selassie answered back shortly thereafter with a goal in the 78th minute, reclaiming a 2-1 lead.
With time running out, William Reilly stepped up for Atlanta United, executing a perfect shot to equalize just two minutes into stoppage time at 48 minutes into the second half.
Philip Zinckernagel was undoubtedly the standout player of the match, showing his class with one goal and five attempts on target. Atlanta’s William Reilly also shone, contributing significantly with his equalizing goal.
A notable moment in the match was when Maren Haile-Selassie showcased his skill by nutmegging his marker in the 78th minute, thrilling the crowd.
Atlanta’s head coach Ronny Deila opted for a 4-3-3 formation, featuring Brad Guzan in goal, while Chicago Coach Gregg Berhalter also fielded a 4-3-3 formation with Christopher Brady as the goalkeeper.
The referee overseeing the match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was Sergii Demianchuk.
Looking ahead, Atlanta United will play away against Inter Miami, whereas Chicago Fire will face CF Montréal on the road next.
Substitutions for Atlanta United
70’ 2H – Emmanuel Latte Lath off for Jamal Thiare, Saba Lobjanidze off for Luke Brennan, Tristan Muyumba off for William Reilly.
86’ 2H – Brooks Lennon off for Matthew Edwards, Luis Abram off for Cayman Togashi.
Yellow Cards for Atlanta United:
37’ 2H – Bartosz Slisz (Unsporting Behavior).
Substitutions for Chicago Fire
66’ 2H – Sergio Oregel off for Rominigue Kouamé, Jonathan Bamba off for Maren Haile-Selassie.
80’ 2H – Dje D Avilla off for Mauricio Pineda.
88’ 2H – Hugo Cuypers off for Tom Barlow, Philip Zinckernagel off for Leonardo Barroso.
Yellow Cards for Chicago Fire:
27’ 1H – Sergio Oregel (Unsporting Behavior), 34’ 1H – Dje D Avilla (Unsporting Behavior).