Football
2021 Major League Soccer, Regular Season
ATL 
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FT
 NYC
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Reuters 2y

NYCFC ends scoreless drought in draw vs. Atlanta

Substitute Gudmunder Thorarinsson scored on a free kick in the 90th minute to end a team-record 509-minute scoreless streak and visiting New York City FC rallied for a 1-1 draw with the Atlanta United on Wednesday night.

Thorarinsson entered the game in the 61st minute and scored NYCFC's first goal since Valentin Castellanos struck in the 31st minute of a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls on Sept. 22.

Thorarinsson scored after Atlanta's Amar Sejdic committed a foul and Talles Magno was awarded a free kick.

He got his second career goal by lifting a left-footed shot into the top right corner of the net and just over the leaping attempt of goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

NYCFC (11-11-8, 41 points) is 0-3-3 in its past six games and 3-5-7 in its past 15. NYCFC moved into a tie for points with the D.C. United, who dropped a 3-2 decision to the Chicago Fire.

Marcelino Moreno scored in the 17th minute for Atlanta, which extended their home unbeaten streak to six games. Atlanta (11-9-10, 43 points) also is 10-3-1 in its past 14 matches and remained three points behind Orlando City, which played to a 1-1 draw with Montreal.

New York goalkeeper Sean Johnson survived several scoring chances and made five saves.

Guzan finished with three saves.

Moreno scored shortly after Atlanta capitalized on a miscue by NYCFC's Jesus Medina. Medina committed a turnover at midfield and Atlanta quickly sped up the field.

Luiz Araujo moved the ball to Moreno, who finished it off with a left-footed shot from the left side that just went by the left arm of Johnson's diving attempt and landed in the bottom left corner.

Atlanta had more chances to surge ahead after Moreno's ninth goal, but Araujo's left-footed shot was stopped in the 27th minute and Miles Robinson's header sailed to the left a minute later. Another chance occurred in the 33rd, but Johnson stopped George Bello's attempt from the center of the box.

Bello missed another chance about 10 minutes into the second half when his shot from the left side caromed off the crossbar and New York nearly tied it in the 61st minute, but a header by Alexander Callens sailed wide. Four minutes later, Guzan stopped Santiago Rodriguez's attempt from the right side and Castellanos nearly scored off a set piece in the 86th minute.

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