Fafà Picault Header Caps Atlanta United Comeback Over Red Bulls, Ending Seven-Match Winless Run

Fafà Picault celebrated his late winner with his shirt off and earned a yellow card for excessive celebration. Considering what Atlanta United's season had looked like until the 82nd minute on Saturday night, nobody in Mercedes-Benz Stadium was going to hold it against him.

Picault's late header finished a comeback that Tristan Muyumba started, and Atlanta United beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in front of 38,469 fans to snap a seven-match winless run. Per the AP, it was Atlanta's first win since a 3-1 home victory over CF Montréal on May 2. The club called it a return home after the World Cup break, and for once the welcome-back party had something worth celebrating.

Forsberg Strikes Early

The visitors needed six minutes to quiet the building. Julian Hall pounced on a loose clearance near the edge of the box, according to the AP, and the ball worked its way to Adri Mehmeti, who slid a through ball to Emil Forsberg. Forsberg beat Lucas Hoyos one-on-one with a left-footed finish into the bottom left corner, his third goal of the season, per the Red Bulls.

New York kept pushing. Ronald Donkor had a shot blocked in the 10th minute, Hoyos made what Atlanta called a difficult save from short distance on Forsberg in the 20th, and Mijahir Jiménez missed to the right in the 24th. Atlanta's attack came alive in flashes. Alexey Miranchuk forced Ethan Horvath into a save from distance in the 23rd minute, Muyumba sent a shot over on a break in the 27th, Picault headed over from point-blank range off a corner in the 30th and Miranchuk slid one just wide from the left side of the six-yard box in the 32nd. Mehmeti had a close-range header blocked at the other end in the 38th, and the Red Bulls took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Thirteen Minutes That Flipped the Night

The Red Bulls came out of the break with the better of it. Forsberg sent a long-range free kick just over in the 49th minute, and in a single 50th-minute sequence Jiménez headed wide and Cade Cowell narrowly missed off a corner. Atlanta's best answer came in the 52nd, when Miguel Almirón got in on a fast break and pulled a left-footed shot wide from the right side of the six-yard box.

Then the home side found its moment. Matt Edwards went off injured in the 68th minute, replaced by Stian Gregersen, and a minute later Muyumba collected a pass from Miranchuk and bent a right-footed shot from outside the box into the top right corner. It was his second goal in as many matches, per the AP and the club, and it came in his 100th appearance in all competitions for Atlanta United.

The Red Bulls tried to reset with four substitutes between the 71st and 79th minutes, but in the 82nd minute Almirón whipped in a cross after a corner and Picault, left unmarked according to the AP, headed it in from the left side of the six-yard box. Both the AP and Atlanta said the ball deflected in off Horvath, but it goes down as Picault's goal. Hoyos still had to make a save on Hall in the 87th minute, and Atlanta survived eight added minutes to close it out.

The Players Who Mattered

Tristan Muyumba was everywhere. Beyond the equalizer, he had two shots and set up Almirón for a blocked effort in the 80th, and Atlanta singled him out for his work rate. The 100th appearance made him the 12th player in club history to reach 100 caps, per Atlanta.

Miguel Almirón delivered the winner, and with it a piece of club history. Atlanta said the assist gave him 41, a share of the club's all-time assists record with Brooks Lennon.

Fafà Picault took two shots, put one on target and turned it into the winner. The booking was a small price.

Emil Forsberg was the Red Bulls' best attacker, with three shots, two on target and the goal before going off in the 79th minute.

Lucas Hoyos made two saves, and that was enough on a night Atlanta had less of the ball.

The Turning Point

The Red Bulls never got the second goal, and their coach knew it. Michael Bradley put it plainly after the match. "When you can't make the play to get the second goal, then you leave it open, and you leave a team that is desperate in some ways," he said. "You leave them hanging around."

That is exactly what happened. Muyumba's strike in the 69th minute flipped the energy in the building, and 13 minutes later, the Red Bulls did not deal with a set piece.

Stats That Matter

• Possession: Red Bulls 59.9 percent, Atlanta 40.1 percent.
• Shots: Red Bulls 11, Atlanta 10. On target: 3 apiece.
• Saves: Hoyos 2, Horvath 1.
• Interceptions: Atlanta 16, Red Bulls 5.
• Corners: Red Bulls 7, Atlanta 3.

What It Means

Atlanta United moved to 4-3-12 with 15 points. The win ended a seven-match winless run and back-to-back losses, per the AP, and it marked Atlanta's first win of the summer after a run that included road losses at Nashville, New England and Philadelphia. Atlanta also handed a club debut to Adrian Gill, who the club said signed in January. Next up is a trip to Minnesota United on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

The Red Bulls fell to 7-4-8 with 25 points. They had won their previous match, 3-2 over Orlando City on Aug. 1, but they have now lost three of their four league matches since July 22. The AP noted the Red Bulls still hold a 10-3-6 regular-season record against Atlanta, including 5-3-3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They begin a three-match homestand against Nashville SC on Wednesday.

Shirt Off, Season On?

Atlanta's season has felt like a horror movie where the lead keeps going back into the basement. Saturday was the scene where somebody finally turns on the lights. One win does not fix a 4-3-12 record, but Muyumba's curler and Picault's shirtless celebration at least gave the 5-Stripes a welcome-home night worth replaying.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by the New York Red Bulls (newyorkredbulls.com). Match notes from Atlanta United (atlutd.com) and the AP via ESPN.