📝New York City FC 0-1 Atlanta United: Remedi goal wins first leg | OneFootball

The recently injured play-maker Miguel Almirón started for Gerardo Martino’s side in the Eastern Conference Semi-final first leg. The Paraguayan strained his left thigh against New England a month ago and made an impact through 45 minutes on Sunday evening.

Almirón appeared to take the lead with a volley off of an improvised corner kick in the 20th minute, but Atlanta’s talisman was offside earlier in the play. Referee Kevin Stott correctly chalked the goal off after reviewing the video.

The Five Stripes scored the game’s first goal through an unlikely source. Defensive midfielder Eric Remedi forced home a rebound in the 37th minute.

Josef Martínez fashioned a volley from Julian Gressel’s corner kick but goalkeeper Sean Johnson did well to block the effort. While Remedi actually put his first effort off the post, the Argentine eventually bundled the ball over the line to take the lead on the road.

The crucial away goal was Remedi’s first professional goal after four seasons in his native Argentina.

Martino judged the physicality of the match in the first half and a lack of effective officiating to be a dangerous combination and decided to take out his play-maker at half-time.

Héctor Villalba replaced Almirón for the start of the second half before making way himself for Ezequiel Barco late in the game.

New York City threw everything they had at the visitors but Atlanta’s defence worked hard to earn a clean sheet in the Conference Semi-final first leg. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan came off his line well and calmly claimed balls out of the air.

After flubbing an earlier pass to Villalba in the final third, Martínez nearly set up Greg Garza for the team’s second in stoppage time.

Atlanta United take their one-goal lead back home to Mercedes-Benz Stadium where they’ll host NYC FC next weekend in the Eastern Conference Semi-final second leg.