Heroics from Neil Pierre and Ezekiel Alladoh vs. Atlanta United keep Union’s winning streak alive
After Milan Iloski's 73rd-minute goal, Neil Pierre tied the game in the 96th minute, and Ezekiel Alladoh scored the winner as the Union completed an improbable three-goal comeback on Saturday.
The Union secured a 3-2 win over 10-man Atlanta United behind stoppage-time goals from Neil Pierre and Ezekiel Alladoh.
Pierre scored in the 96th minute to bring the Union level, and Alladoh scored in the 97th to complete a stunning comeback.
Atlanta played at a man disadvantage for more than an hour after Enea Mihaj was shown off for a dangerous challenge on Milan Iloski in the 27th minute.
Miguel Almirón and Tristan Muyumba netted shorthanded goals to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage by the 66th minute.
Milan Iloski scored the Union’s first goal in the 73rd before Pierre evened it and Alladoh scored the winner.
The improbable victory is the third-straight win for the Union (4-10-4, 16 points), who are undefeated since returning from the international break for the FIFA World Cup.
“That was the mentality,” Union interim manager Ryan Richter said. “That was the clear target for the game. Not come back and tie; get three points out of this. It was pretty cool the way that the guys pushed all the way through.”
Mihaj was shown a red card in the 27th minute after sliding into a late challenge near midfield. Mihaj’s cleat scraped against the leg of Iloski, which led referee Allen Chapman to show the center back red without warning and sent last-place Atlanta (3-12-3, 12 points) down to 10 men.
Despite going down a man, Almirón gave Atlanta the lead in the 30th. Fafà Picault lofted a ball for Almirón, who squeezed past Pierre and Frankie Westfield to get through on goal.
Almirón finished the chance through a last-ditch tackle from Pierre, beating Andre Blake with a slow-rolling shot to his left and giving Atlanta a 1-0 lead.
Iloski also was cautioned in the physical first half. The Union’s leading goal-scorer was shown yellow in the 28th for a tackle on Almirón.
The two sides combined for 13 fouls and three cards in the first half, including Atlanta’s bench being shown yellow in the seventh minute for dissent.
Pierre nearly brought the Union level with a header from a corner in the 43rd minute, but his attempt hit the crossbar and bounced back into play.
Westfield also hit the woodwork with a shot from a corner in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Westfield’s shot was the final first-half chance for the Union, who went into the break up a man but down a goal.
Both managers kept their sides the same to start the second half, which began with a prolonged period of control for the Union. The Union launched three shots from four corners in the first five minutes of the second half but could not break through.
Nathan Harriel was shown yellow in the 53rd minute for a tactical challenge on Almirón, who was running past Harriel on a counterattack.
Ryan Richter made his first set of changes in the 56th minute, bringing on Quinn Sullivan and Jesús Bueno for Indiana Vassilev and Jovan Lukić.
Danley Jean Jacques produced another near miss from a corner shortly after. Jean Jacques beat Atlanta goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos to Iloski’s cross, but his headed attempt sailed over the bar.
Muyumba sent a curled right-footed shot into the back of Blake’s net from just outside the 18-yard box in the 66th minute to make it 2-0.
“We fell asleep in two moments to give the goals,” Richter said. “That part isn’t good enough. It’s clear for everybody. And they were on each other about that, too.”
Richter made another pair of offensively minded changes in the 71st, shifting the Union to a more attacking formation by bringing on Alladoh and Agustín Anello for Bruno Damiani and Nathan Harriel.
“In these games, home games in MLS, you have to go for the win,” Richter said. “It’s not satisfying to go for the tie. One point at home is not enough to make the push that you want throughout a season. So in all these, whenever we’re in this situation, it’s us trying to go for the win.”
The changes paid off, as Iloski beat Hoyos with a crafty right-footed finish for his eighth goal in the last six games.
Cavan Sullivan nearly brought the Union level twice as the game pushed on. Hoyos pushed a dangerous Sullivan volley wide in the 81st, and in the 82nd, Sullivan took a shot that went just wide of the left post.
Elías Báez was shown yellow for time wasting in the 92nd minute as Atlanta killed off eight minutes of stoppage time.
Pierre scored the game-tying goal off a Kai Wagner cross, smashing a header past Hoyos.
“To be honest, I can’t even really remember it,” Pierre said of his goal. “I just really jumped up. I low-key closed my eyes, and then it just went in the goal, so I was happy.”
Alladoh scored a minute later to secure the remarkable three-goal comeback for the Union in the game’s final moments.
“Everybody knows the first half wasn’t good enough,” Wagner said. “But the reaction after the second goal showed that everybody on this team has belief at the moment. We were on the front foot. It showed a really good character from the team.”
Up next
The Union will open the group stage of the Leagues Cup against Liga MX side Cruz Azul at Subaru Park on Thursday (8 p.m., Apple TV, FS1).
The Union will play three group-stage matches at home in the Leagues Cup, which pits 18 Mexican clubs against 18 MLS sides. The Union will host Necaxa on Aug. 9 before closing out Phase 1 of the competition against Santos Laguna on Aug. 13.
The Union will return to MLS play with a match against New York City FC on Aug. 16 at Yankee Stadium.