Atlanta United escape with draw vs. NYCFC thanks to Jamal Thiare

Jamal Thiare scored the match-tying goal in the 65th minute to help Atlanta United notch a 1-1 draw against host New York City FC on Saturday night.

Santiago Rodriguez scored late in the first half for NYCFC in the match at Citi Field.

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The tie gave Atlanta United (3-2-1, 10 points), who have played three matches away from home, a road point for the first time this season.

NYCFC (1-4-2, five points) continued their slow start in the first match of a five-match homestand split between Citi Field (three matches) and Yankee Stadium (two).

Rodriguez scored his third goal of the season in the 43rd minute to break a scoreless tie. But New York City FC put just two of their 23 shots on target for the match.

Thiare later tallied his third goal in the past two matches to knot the score. Atlanta United took 19 shots, and six were on target.

NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese made five saves, while Atlanta's Brad Guzan was credited with just one.

Atlanta played without leading scorer Giorgos Giakoumakis (five goals) due to a bone bruise in his right knee.

Rodriguez was knocked down in the box in the 39th minute by Atlanta United's Tristan Muyumba. The call was reviewed and upheld.

Four minutes later, Rodriguez stood at the spot and easily beat Guzan with a right-footed shot into the right corner of the net.

NYCFC had two big chances in first-half stoppage time but came up empty on both. Hannes Wolf sent a header just left of the post in the second minute of stoppage time, and Mounsef Bakrar drilled a right-footed shot that went just wide to the left one minute later.

Atlanta United put five shots on target in the first half to NYCFC's one.

Atlanta tied the score when Edwin Mosquera sent a cross from the right toward Thiare, who headed the ball into the right corner of the net 20 minutes into the second half.

Rodriguez had a chance to put NYCFC back ahead in the 77th minute. He unleashed a right-footed rocket that Guzan got a hand on, and then the ball hit the crossbar before the Atlanta goalie collected it.

Rodriguez sent a right-footer directly at Guzan in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.